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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Zamzam Water in Cancer and Beyond: Preclinical Cellular Effects and Proposed Mechanistic Hypotheses

  • Md. Sanower Hossain1,2
  • Anwar Parvez3
  • Md. Tarakul Islam4
  • Shakil Ahmmed5
  • Md. Hasibul Hasan4
  • Peni Indrayudha1
  • Hamzeh Alkhatib2
  • Md. Hanif Munshi6
  • Hasna Banu7
  • Erindyah Retno Wikantyasning1
  • Iswandi8
  • Ambarwati Ambarwati9
9 affiliations
  1. 1Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Sukoharjo 57162, Indonesia
  2. 2Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh 30450, Malaysia
  3. 3Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
  4. 4Department of Food Engineering, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8105, Bangladesh
  5. 5Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
  6. 6Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8105, Bangladesh
  7. 7Department of Pharmacy, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8105, Bangladesh
  8. 8Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Setia Budi, Surakarta 57127, Indonesia
  9. 9Department of Biological Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Sukoharjo 57162, Indonesia
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Abstract

Zamzam water (ZW), a naturally occurring alkaline mineral water with a distinctive ionic and trace-element composition, has attracted growing scientific interest due to its reported pharmacological properties and emerging biological effects relevant to cancer research. This review provides a comprehensive mechanistic synthesis that links the physicochemical characteristics of ZW to molecular and cellular processes implicated in cancer biology. Integrating evidence from cancer biology, redox pharmacology, mitochondrial physiology, and cellular signaling, this review examines how the unique mineral composition and mildly alkaline pH of ZW may collectively influence pathways associated with the hallmarks of cancer. Preclinical studies demonstrate context-dependent modulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, cell-cycle progression, and signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cyclic AMP (cAMP) networks, across multiple cancer models. Beyond its reported antiproliferative activity, ZW also exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and organ-protective effects in non-malignant systems. Importantly, this review proposes a conceptual framework for investigating the relative contributions of mineral ions, ionic homeostasis, redox regulation, and physicochemical properties to the biological effects of ZW, and identifies key mechanistic and methodological gaps. ZW has exhibited cancer-associated biological effects in experimental animals; however, its therapeutic effectiveness has yet to be validated. Future studies integrating standardized physicochemical characterization, molecular validation, multi-omics approaches, and clinical investigations are required to establish its translational relevance in complementary oncology.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{hossain2026zamzam,
  title = {{Zamzam Water in Cancer and Beyond: Preclinical Cellular Effects and Proposed Mechanistic Hypotheses}},
  author = {Md. Sanower Hossain and Anwar Parvez and Md. Tarakul Islam and Shakil Ahmmed and Md. Hasibul Hasan and Peni Indrayudha and Hamzeh Alkhatib and Md. Hanif Munshi and Hasna Banu and Erindyah Retno Wikantyasning and Iswandi and Ambarwati Ambarwati},
  journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/ijms27209308},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9308},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Zamzam Water in Cancer and Beyond: Preclinical Cellular Effects and Proposed Mechanistic Hypotheses
AU  - Md. Sanower Hossain
AU  - Anwar Parvez
AU  - Md. Tarakul Islam
AU  - Shakil Ahmmed
AU  - Md. Hasibul Hasan
AU  - Peni Indrayudha
AU  - Hamzeh Alkhatib
AU  - Md. Hanif Munshi
AU  - Hasna Banu
AU  - Erindyah Retno Wikantyasning
AU  - Iswandi
AU  - Ambarwati Ambarwati
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO  - 10.3390/ijms27209308
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9308
AB  - Zamzam water (ZW), a naturally occurring alkaline mineral water with a distinctive ionic and trace-element composition, has attracted growing scientific interest due to its reported pharmacological properties and emerging biological effects relevant to cancer research. This review provides a comprehensive mechanistic synthesis that links the physicochemical characteristics of ZW to molecular and cellular processes implicated in cancer biology. Integrating evidence from cancer biology, redox pharmacology, mitochondrial physiology, and cellular signaling, this review examines how the unique mineral composition and mildly alkaline pH of ZW may collectively influence pathways associated with the hallmarks of cancer. Preclinical studies demonstrate context-dependent modulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, cell-cycle progression, and signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cyclic AMP (cAMP) networks, across multiple cancer models. Beyond its reported antiproliferative activity, ZW also exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and organ-protective effects in non-malignant systems. Importantly, this review proposes a conceptual framework for investigating the relative contributions of mineral ions, ionic homeostasis, redox regulation, and physicochemical properties to the biological effects of ZW, and identifies key mechanistic and methodological gaps. ZW has exhibited cancer-associated biological effects in experimental animals; however, its therapeutic effectiveness has yet to be validated. Future studies integrating standardized physicochemical characterization, molecular validation, multi-omics approaches, and clinical investigations are required to establish its translational relevance in complementary oncology.
SN  - 1422-0067
ER  -