The Combination of Zerumbone and 5-FU: A Significant Therapeutic Strategy in Sensitizing Colorectal Cancer Cells to Treatment

Objectives. Chemotherapy is considered to be essential in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), but drug resistance reduces its efficacy. Many advanced CRC eventually show 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapy. Synergistic and potentiating effects combination therapy, using herbal chemical drugs, can improve patients’ response. Zerumbone (ZER), which derived from ginger, has been studied for growth inhibitory function various types cancer. Methods. The cytotoxic ZER 5-FU alone their combination, on SW48 HCT-116 cells, were examined, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). mRNA protein levels ?-catenin, survivin, vimentin measured treated qRT-PCR western blot. Colony formation assay, scratch test, flow cytometry performed detect changes proliferation, migration, apoptosis. Key Findings. In HCT-116- SW48-treated gene expression markers, colony formation, survival rates all significantly reduced compared control groups, sharpest decline was observed 5-FU+ZER groups. Conclusions. Combination therapy shown promising results especially drug-resistant cells.