Dehalogenation Activity of Selected Fungi Toward δ-Iodo-γ-Lactone Derived from trans,trans-Farnesol

Extraction of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Hemp Flowers and Leaves (Cannabis sativa L., Futura 75): Chemical Profiling and Evaluation of Anticancer Properties

This study investigated efficient extraction methods for cannabinoids and terpenes from the above-ground parts of Futura 75, focusing on two techniques: pressurized extraction and magnetic stirrer-assisted extraction. The effects of solvent type, temperature, time, and pressure were evaluated using five organic solvents and two binary solvent systems. Cannabinoid profiles of obtained extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while terpene profiles were characterized through solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with GC-MS. Next, two selected extracts with the highest content of cannabinoid and terpene fractions (Futu1 and Futu2) were tested for antiproliferative activity toward cancer cell lines (MV4-11, AGS, HT-29, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7) and their cytotoxicity was evaluated on non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells. Extract Futu1 contained 51.57% cannabinoids, 9.8% monoterpenes, and 90.2% sesquiterpenes in the terpene fraction. Futu2 exhibited a higher proportion of monoterpenes in the terpene fraction (19.6% monoterpenes and 80.4% sesquiterpenes) and consisted of 49.49% cannabinoids. Both extracts exhibited higher selectivity for cancer cells over non-tumorigenic cells, with Futu2 demonstrating stronger antiproliferative properties. Interestingly, lower concentrations of extracts and tested free, single cannabinoids stimulated the growth of leukemia (MV4-11) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-468) cell lines while their higher concentrations suppressed proliferation.

Synthesis of novel phytol-derived γ-butyrolactones and evaluation of their biological activity

The synthesis of phytol-derived γ-butyrolactones as well as their evaluation for deterrent activity towards peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae and antiproliferative activity against four selected cancer cell lines are reported. Products were obtained in good yields (19-96%) and their structures were fully characterized by spectroscopic data (NMR, HRMS). Four synthesized δ-halo-γ-lactones (4-7) are new and have not been previously described in the literature. In the choice test phytol (1) appeared deterrent to M. persicae, whereas modifications of its structure did not cause the avoidance of the treated leaves by the aphids. In contrast, aphids were attracted to the leaves treated with the new trans-δ-chloro-γ-lactone (6). Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique applied to explore the aphid probing and feeding activity revealed that neither phytol nor lactone 6 affected aphid probing and the consumption of phloem sap, which means that both phytol and the lactone 6 might have acted as postingestive modifiers of aphid behavior. The results of in vitro antitumor assays showed that obtained phytol derivatives exhibit cytotoxic activity against studied cancer cell lines (leukemia, lung and colon carcinoma and its doxorubicin resistant subline). Halolactones 4-6 were identified as the compounds, which arrest cell cycle of leukemia cells mainly in G2/M and S phases.

Farnesol Has an Anti-obesity Effect in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice and Induces the Development of Beige Adipocytes in Human Adipose Tissue Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Brown adipocytes dissipate energy as heat and hence have an important therapeutic capacity for obesity. Development of brown-like adipocytes (also called beige) is also another attractive target for obesity treatment. Here, we investigated the effect of farnesol, an isoprenoid, on adipogenesis in adipocytes and on the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) as well as on the weight gain of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Farnesol inhibited adipogenesis and the related key regulators including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α through the up-regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase in 3T3-L1 murine adipocytes and human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs). Farnesol markedly increased the expression of uncoupling protein 1 and PPARγ coactivator 1 α in differentiated hAMSCs. In addition, farnesol limited the weight gain in HFD obese mice and induced the development of beige adipocytes in both inguinal and epididymal WAT. These results suggest that farnesol could be a potential therapeutic agent for obesity treatment.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Phosphatidylcholine Analogues Containing Monoterpene Acids as Potent Antiproliferative Agents

The synthesis of novel phosphatidylcholines with geranic and citronellic acids in sn-1 and sn-2 positions is described. The structured phospholipids were obtained in high yields (59-87%) and evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against several cancer cell lines of different origin: MV4-11, A-549, MCF-7, LOVO, LOVO/DX, HepG2 and also towards non-cancer cell line BALB/3T3 (normal mice fibroblasts). The phosphatidylcholines modified with monoterpene acid showed a significantly higher antiproliferative activity than free monoterpene acids. The highest activity was observed for the terpene-phospholipids containing the isoprenoid acids in sn-1 position of phosphatidylcholine and palmitic acid in sn-2.