4-Ethylphenyl Sulfate Selectively Deleterious for Colon Cancer Cells

This research is the first study to reveal the potential anticancer properties of phenolic metabolite derived from gut microbiota i.e., 4-EPS on human colon cancer cells. The findings revealed that 4EPS induces apoptosis, causes cell cycle arrest, increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, disrupts cell morphology, inhibits cell viability, and suppresses colony formation in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Importantly, 4-EPS did not exhibit cytotoxicity to normal colon cells. Molecular docking and simulation studies reveals the enhanced binding interaction of 4-EPS with HDAC1 in comparison with other HDACs. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that 4-EPS possesses significant anticancer potential against colon cancer cells while being safe for normal colon cells. These results suggest that 4-EPS could be considered a promising candidate for future colon cancer treatments.