Evaluation of antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of shogaol and its modulatory effects on key metabolic enzymes

Phenolic compounds are versatile bioactive molecules, particularly in food applications. In this study, the antioxidant capacity of Shogaol, a member of the phenolic class, was evaluated using several methods. Additionally, its inhibitory effects on human carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and II), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-glycosidase, and α-amylase enzymes, as well as its antiproliferative effects on A-549 lung cancer, HT-29 colon cancer, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cell lines, and the 3T3-L1 mouse fibroblast normal cell line, were investigated. To determine the antioxidant capacity of Shogaol, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, as well as Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, and FRAP reduction methods, were employed. Its inhibitory effects on hCA I and II, AChE, BChE, α-glycosidase, and α-amylase enzymes were examined. Furthermore, cell counting was performed using the TBE method, and cell viability was measured with the XTT assay to assess the antiproliferative effects of Shogaol on A-549, HT-29, MCF-7, MDA-MB-453, and 3T3-L1 cell lines. Shogaol demonstrated higher antioxidant capacity than BHA, BHT, and Trolox in the FRAP assay (60 µg/mL), higher than BHT in the DPPH scavenging assay, and higher than Trolox in the ABTS, Cu²⁺, and Fe³⁺ reduction assays. Shogaol also exhibited significant inhibitory effects against hCA I, hCA II, AChE, BChE, and α-glycosidase, with IC₅₀ values of 75.91, 47.04, 37.44, 24.11, and 35.72 nM, respectively. Moreover, Shogaol showed a more potent antiproliferative effect than the standard chemotherapeutic drug Carboplatin in A-549 lung cancer and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines, and greater efficacy than Docetaxel in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.