Exploring the Anticancer Mechanisms of Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides in Colorectal Cancer: Apoptosis and Autophagy Interactions

ABSTRACT Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides (DOP) exhibit anticancer potential against colorectal cancer (CRC), yet their mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated DOP's effects on HCT‐116 cells. DOP dose‐ and time‐dependently inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis, evidenced by elevated cleaved caspase‐3/‐9, poly ADP‐ribose polymerase (PARP), Bax, and reduced Bcl‐2. Concurrently, DOP activated autophagy (increased LC3‐II/I, Beclin‐1; decreased p62) via phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) suppression. Combining DOP with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine enhanced apoptosis (higher cleaved PARP, Bax; lower Bcl‐2) and reactivated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. These findings demonstrate DOP inhibits CRC by dual induction of apoptosis and autophagy blockade through PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition, with autophagy suppression synergistically augmenting apoptosis. The study highlights DOP's translational potential as a functional food or adjuvant therapy, proposing a novel combinatorial strategy for CRC treatment.