Evaluation of the Anticancer Properties of Geranyl Isovalerate, an Active Ingredient of Argyreia nervosa Extract in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Chemotherapy is a general treatment procedure for cancer. The diversity in cancer incidence and the failure of therapy due to chemoresistance lead to increased cancer-related deaths. Therefore, new drugs with fewer secondary complications targeting diverse pathways are the need of the hour. Geranyl isovalerate (GIV), one of the active ingredients of ethyl acetate fraction of Argyreia nervosa is routinely used as a food flavoring agent. In this study, we found that GIV also exhibits anticancer activity when tested against the HCT116 cell line. It influenced the viability of the cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We examined whether GIV could induce oxidative stress and affect the mitochondrial membrane potential, thereby leading to apoptosis induction. Moreover, GIV could suppress the expression of antiapoptotic genes, such as BCl2 and PARP, and induce the expression of proapoptotic genes, such as Caspase 3 and 9. This is the first study demonstrating the anticancer activity of GIV and providing evidence for its mechanism of action. In conclusion, this study proposes GIV as a potential lead or supplementary molecule in treating and preventing colorectal cancer (CRC). Based on our findings, we conclude that GIV may be a viable lead or supplementary molecule for treating and preventing CRC.