Caffeic acid phenethyl ester explained

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a natural phenolic chemical compound. It is the ester of caffeic acid and phenethyl alcohol.

Natural occurrences

CAPE is found in a variety of plants. It is also a component of propolis from honeybee hives.^[1]

Potential pharmacology

A variety of in vitro pharmacology and effects in animal models have been reported for CAPE, but their clinical significance is unknown. It has antimitogenic, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties in vitro.^[2] Another study also showed that CAPE suppresses acute immune and inflammatory responses in vitro.^[3] This anti-cancer effect was also seen when mice skin was treated with bee propolis and exposed to TPA, a chemical that induced skin papillomas. CAPE significantly reduced the number of papillomas.^{[4] [5]}

Recent study suggest that CAPE can also help in reducing oxidative stress caused by traumatic brain injury.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Demestre M . CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester)-based propolis extract (Bio 30) suppresses the growth of human neurofibromatosis (NF) tumor xenografts in mice . Phytother Res . 23. 2. 226–30. August 2008 . 18726924 . 10.1002/ptr.2594 . vanc. Messerli SM . Celli N . 3 . Shahhossini . M. . Kluwe . L. . Mautner . V. . Maruta . H.. 21934712 .
2. Natarajan K, Singh S, Burke TR, Grunberger D, Aggarwal BB . Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is a potent and specific inhibitor of activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 93 . 17 . 9090–5 . August 1996 . 8799159 . 38600 . 10.1073/pnas.93.17.9090. 1996PNAS...93.9090N . free .
3. Orban Z, Mitsiades N, Burke TR, Tsokos M, Chrousos GP . Caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces leukocyte apoptosis, modulates nuclear factor-kappa B and suppresses acute inflammation . Neuroimmunomodulation . 7 . 2 . 99–105 . 2000 . 10686520 . 10.1159/000026427. 31950905 .
4. Huang MT . Inhibitory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion in mouse skin and the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in HeLa cells . Carcinogenesis . 17 . 4 . 761–5 . April 1996 . 8625488 . 10.1093/carcin/17.4.761. vanc. Ma W . Yen P . 3 . Xie . Jian-Guo . Han . Jingkang . Frenkel . Krystyna . Grunberger . Dezider . Conney . Allan H.. free .
5. Huang MT, Smart RC, Wong CQ, Conney AH . Inhibitory effect of curcumin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid on tumor promotion in mouse skin by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate . Cancer Res. . 48 . 21 . 5941–6 . November 1988 . 3139287 .
6. Nasution. Rizha Anshori. Asadul Islam. Andi. Hatta. Mochammad. (none). Prihantono. Turchan. Agus. (none). Nasrullah. Faruk. Muhammad . September 2020. Role of CAPE in reducing oxidative stress in animal models with traumatic brain injury. Annals of Medicine and Surgery. 57. 118–122. 10.1016/j.amsu.2020.07.036. 32760580. 7390826.