Synergistic Effect of Garcinol and Curcumin on Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Activity in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is a major health concern due to its aggressiveness and early metastasis. Current treatments for PaCa are limited by development of resistance against therapy. As an alternative strategy, we assessed the combinatorial effect of dietary compounds, garcinol and curcumin, on human PaCa cells (BxPC-3 and Panc-1). A significant (P < 0.05) dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and increase in apoptosis were observed in both cell lines as compared to untreated controls. A combination index (CI) value < 1, for a two-way comparison of curcumin and garcinol, suggests synergism. The potency (Dm) of the combination of garcinol and curcumin was 2 to 10 fold that of the individual agents. This indicates that curcumin and garcinol in combination exhibit a high level of synergism, with enhanced bioactivity, thereby reducing the required effective dose required for each individually. This combinatorial strategy may hold promise in future development of therapies against PaCa.