β-Ionone arrests cell cycle of gastric carcinoma cancer cells by a MAPK pathway

β-Ionone enhances the inhibitory effects of 5-fluorouracil on the proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma cells by the GSK-3β signaling pathway

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in the treatment of gastric cancer, and the emergence of drug resistance and toxic effects has limited its application. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safe and effective novel drugs or new therapies. β-Ionone (BI) is found in vegetables and fruits and possesses an inhibitory proliferation of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we investigated whether BI could enhance the inhibitory effects of 5-FU on the proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma cells and the growth of gastric cancer cell xenografts in a mouse model. The effects of BI and 5-FU alone or their combination on the cell viability, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential, the cell cycle, and its related proteins-Cyclin D1, and CDK4 as well as PCNA and GSK-3β were evaluated in SGC-7901 cells and MKN45 cells by MTT, MB, flow cytometry and Western blot. In addition, the effects of BI and 5-FU alone or their combination on the growth of SGC-7901 cell xenografts in nude mice were investigated. The results showed that BI significantly enhanced the sensitivity of gastric adenocarcinoma cells to 5-FU in vitro and in vivo, i.e. proliferation inhibited, apoptosis induced and GSK-3β protein activated. Therefore, our results suggest that BI increases the antitumor effect of 5-FU on gastric adenocarcinoma cells, at least partly from an activated GSK-3β signaling pathway.

BioSTD: A New Tensor Multi-View Framework via Combining Tensor Decomposition and Strong Complementarity Constraint for Analyzing Cancer Omics Data

Advances in omics technology have enriched the understanding of the biological mechanisms of diseases, which has provided a new approach for cancer research. Multi-omics data contain different levels of cancer information, and comprehensive analysis of them has attracted wide attention. However, limited by the dimensionality of matrix models, traditional methods cannot fully use the key high-dimensional global structure of multi-omics data. Moreover, besides global information, local features within each omics are also critical. It is necessary to consider the potential local information together with the high-dimensional global information, ensuring that the shared and complementary features of the omics data are comprehensively observed. In view of the above, this article proposes a new tensor integrative framework called the strong complementarity tensor decomposition model (BioSTD) for cancer multi-omics data. It is used to identify cancer subtype specific genes and cluster subtype samples. Different from the matrix framework, BioSTD utilizes multi-view tensors to coordinate each omics to maximize high-dimensional spatial relationships, which jointly considers the different characteristics of different omics data. Meanwhile, we propose the concept of strong complementarity constraint applicable to omics data and introduce it into BioSTD. Strong complementarity is used to explore the potential local information, which can enhance the separability of different subtypes, allowing consistency and complementarity in the omics data to be fully represented. Experimental results on real cancer datasets show that our model outperforms other advanced models, which confirms its validity.

β-Ionone represses renal cell carcinoma progression through activating LKB1/AMPK-triggered autophagy

β-Ionone, the end ring analog of β-carotenoids, has been proven to have an antitumor effect in a variety of cancers. In this study, we investigated the impact of β-ionone on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines (786-O and ACHN) using colony formation assays, flow cytometry analysis, and western blot analysis. We found that β-ionone effectively inhibited the proliferation of RCC cells in vitro, which was also confirmed in a xenograft model. Moreover, we found that β-ionone could induce autophagy, as indicated by LC3 puncta in 786-O and ACHN cell lines and the expression of LC3 in β-ionone-treated RCC cells. To further explore the underlying mechanism, we assessed liver kinase B1/AMP-activated protein kinase (LKB1/AMPK) signaling pathway activity, and the results showed that β-ionone inhibited the proliferation of RCC cells by inducing autophagy via the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway. In summary, our findings provide a new therapeutic strategy of β-ionone-induced autophagy in RCC.

The Effective Analysis for Blue Honeysuckle Extract in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To further determine how BHE affected the growth of HCC cells, the proportion of each cell cycle phase was explored in HCC cells by flow cytometry. Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a species of bush that grows in eastern Russia. Blue honeysuckle extract (BHE) is rich in bioactive phytochemicals which can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells. The mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of BHE in primary liver cancer is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth inhibition mechanism of bioactive substances from blue honeysuckle on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and to explore its protein and gene targets. The compounds in BHE were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was used to evaluate the effects of BHE on HCC cell proliferation, and flow cytometry assay (FCA) was used to determine how BHE arrested the proportion of each cell cycle phase in HCC cells. Western blot (WB) was performed to determine the expression of cell cycle-related proteins in HCC cells treated with different concentrations of BHE. The xenograft tumor animal models were established by HCC cell implantation. The results showed that cyanidin-3-o-glucoside and cyanidin-3-o-sophoroside which are the main biologically active components were detected in BHE. BHE is highly effective in inhibiting the proliferation of HCC cells by arresting the HCC cell cycle in the G2/M phase. BHE also downregulated the expression of conventional or classical dendritic cells-2 (cDC2) and cyclin B1 by promoting the expression of myelin transcription factor 1 (MyT1) in HCC cells. The weight and volume of xenografts were significantly decreased in the BHE treated groups when compared to the control group. BHE increased the expression of MyT1 in xenograft tissues. These findings showed that blue honeysuckle extract inhibits proliferation in vivo and in vitro by downregulating the expression of cDC2 and cyclin B1 and upregulating the expression of MyT1 in HCC cells.

Carotenoids and Apocarotenoids in Planta: Their Role in Plant Development, Contribution to the Flavour and Aroma of Fruits and Flowers, and Their Nutraceutical Benefits

Carotenoids and apocarotenoids are diverse classes of compounds found in nature and are important natural pigments, nutraceuticals and flavour/aroma molecules. Improving the quality of crops is important for providing micronutrients to remote communities where dietary variation is often limited. Carotenoids have also been shown to have a significant impact on a number of human diseases, improving the survival rates of some cancers and slowing the progression of neurological illnesses. Furthermore, carotenoid-derived compounds can impact the flavour and aroma of crops and vegetables and are the origin of important developmental, as well as plant resistance compounds required for defence. In this review, we discuss the current research being undertaken to increase carotenoid content in plants and research the benefits to human health and the role of carotenoid derived volatiles on flavour and aroma of fruits and vegetables.

Burmannic Acid Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Oxidative Stress Response of Oral Cancer Cells

Burmannic acid (BURA) is a new apocarotenoid bioactive compound derived from Indonesian cinnamon; however, its anticancer effect has rarely been investigated in oral cancer cells. In this investigation, the consequences of the antiproliferation of oral cancer cells effected by BURA were evaluated. BURA selectively suppressed cell proliferation of oral cancer cells (Ca9-22 and CAL 27) but showed little cytotoxicity to normal oral cells (HGF-1). In terms of mechanism, BURA perturbed cell cycle distribution, upregulated mitochondrial superoxide, induced mitochondrial depolarization, triggered γH2AX and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine DNA damage, and induced apoptosis and caspase 3/8/9 activation in oral cancer cells. Application of N-acetylcysteine confirmed oxidative stress as the critical factor in promoting antiproliferation, apoptosis, and DNA damage in oral cancer cells.

Alternative mechanisms of action for the apoptotic activity of terpenoid-like chalcone derivatives

The structural basis of the cytotoxicity of terpenoid-like chalcone derivatives.

Ionone Is More than a Violet's Fragrance: A Review

The term ionone is derived from “iona” (Greek for violet) which refers to the violet scent and “ketone” due to its structure. Ionones can either be chemically synthesized or endogenously produced via asymmetric cleavage of β-carotene by β-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2). We recently proposed a possible metabolic pathway for the conversion of α-and β-pinene into α-and β-ionone. The differences between BCO1 and BCO2 suggest a unique physiological role of BCO2; implying that β-ionone (one of BCO2 products) is involved in a prospective biological function. This review focuses on the effects of ionones and the postulated mechanisms or signaling cascades involved mediating these effects. β-Ionone, whether of an endogenous or exogenous origin possesses a range of pharmacological effects including anticancer, chemopreventive, cancer promoting, melanogenesis, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions. β-Ionone mediates these effects via activation of olfactory receptor (OR51E2) and regulation of the activity or expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins, HMG-CoA reductase and pro-inflammatory mediators. α-Ionone and β-ionone derivatives exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticancer effects, however the corresponding structure activity relationships are still inconclusive. Overall, data demonstrates that ionone is a promising scaffold for cancer, inflammation and infectious disease research and thus is more than simply a violet’s fragrance.

Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds and Antibacterial Activity of the Amazonian Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain GFB01

Cyanobacteria exhibit great biotechnological potential due to their capacity to produce compounds with various applicability. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) possess low molecular weight and high vapor pressure. Many volatiles produced by microorganisms have biotechnological potential, including antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to investigate the VOCs synthesized by cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain GFB01, and the influence of nitrate and phosphate on its antibacterial potential. The strain was isolated from the surface of the freshwater lagoon Lagoa dos Índios, Amapá state, in Northern Brazil. After cultivation, the VOCs were extracted by a simultaneous distillation-extraction process, using a Likens-Nickerson apparatus (2 h), and then identified by GC-MS. The extracts did not display inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive bacteria tested by the disk-diffusion agar method. However, the anti-Salmonella property in both extracts (methanol and aqueous) was detected. The main VOCs identified were heptadecane (81.32%) and octadecyl acetate (11.71%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of VOCs emitted by a cyanobacterium from the Amazon that reports the occurrence of 6-pentadecanol and octadecyl acetate in cyanobacteria.

Research Advances on Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Biological Activities of Apocarotenoid Aroma in Horticultural Plants

Apocarotenoids, which play important roles in the growth and development of horticultural plants, are produced by the action of carotenoid cleavage oxygenase (CCO) family members or nonenzymatic cleavage actions. Apocarotenoids are commonly found in leaves, flowers, and fruits of many horticultural plants and participate in the formation of pigments, flavors, hormones, and signaling compounds. Some of them are recognized as important aroma components of fruit and flower with aromatic odor, such as βß-ionone, β-damascenone, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one in tomato fruit, and have low odor thresholds with β-ionone having odor threshold of only 0.007 ppb. In this review, the main apocarotenoid aroma components in horticultural plants were listed, and factors influencing their production were discussed at first. Then, the biosynthetic pathway of apocarotenoid aromas was briefly introduced, and the CCDs gene family was highlighted, and the nonenzymatic production of apocarotenoid aromas was also mentioned. Next, chemical and molecular regulations of apocarotenoid aromas and their biological activities were summarized. Finally, further exploration aspects needed were suggested. We anticipate that this review can afford some crucial information for comprehensive application of apocarotenoid volatile compounds in horticultural plants.

The Synthesis and Biological Function of a Novel Sandwich-Type Complex Based on {SbW9 } and Flexible bpp Ligand

A novel sandwich-type complex [Na(H₂ O)₄ ][{Na₃ (H₂ O)₅ }{Mn₃ (bpp)₃ } (SbW₉ O₃₃ )₂ }]·8H₃ O (MnSbW-bpp) (bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl) propane) is synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The MnSbW-bpp compound is the first sandwich case bridged by a flexible ligand. Its biological function of MnSbW-bpp in antitumor activity is also determined in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory proliferation and induction of apoptosis are performed by flow cytometry assay, S180 (sarcoma) tumor xenograft in ICR mice, the color Doppler ultrasound monitor, and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay. The results show that the novel compound-MnSbW-bpp-is synthesized and identified by its physical and chemical characteristics, such as the fluorescent and paramagnetic activities. MnSbW-bpp indicates a potency inhibition of human cancer lines, such as SGC-7901, HT-29, HepG2, Hela, U2OS, SaoS2, and HMC cells. MnSbW-bpp also inhibits the growth of tumor xenograft in mice, induced cell apoptosis, and released cytochrome c in vivo and in vitro. Thus, MnSbW-bpp, as a new compound, possesses the potent inhibition of cancer cells, which indicates that the MnSbW-bpp has potential merit for the further evaluation of a novel antitumor agent.

The Potential of Isoprenoids in Adjuvant Cancer Therapy to Reduce Adverse Effects of Statins

The mevalonate pathway provides sterols for membrane structure and nonsterol intermediates for the post-translational modification and membrane anchorage of growth-related proteins, including the Ras, Rac, and Rho GTPase family. Mevalonate-derived products are also essential for the Hedgehog pathway, steroid hormone signaling, and the nuclear localization of Yes-associated protein and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif, all of which playing roles in tumorigenesis and cancer stem cell function. The phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase-AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway, p53 with gain-of-function mutation, and oncoprotein MYC upregulate the mevalonate pathway, whereas adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and tumor suppressor protein RB are the downregulators. The rate-limiting enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), is under a multivalent regulation. Sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 mediates the sterol-controlled transcriptional downregulation of HMGCR. UbiA prenyltransferase domain-containing protein-1 regulates the ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of HMGCR, which is accelerated by 24, 25-dihydrolanosterol and the diterpene geranylgeraniol. Statins, competitive inhibitors of HMGCR, deplete cells of mevalonate-derived intermediates and consequently inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Clinical application of statins is marred by dose-limiting toxicities and mixed outcomes on cancer risk, survival and mortality, partially resulting from the statin-mediated compensatory upregulation of HMGCR and indiscriminate inhibition of HMGCR in normal and tumor cells. Tumor HMGCR is resistant to the sterol-mediated transcriptional control; consequently, HMGCR is upregulated in cancers derived from adrenal gland, blood and lymph, brain, breast, colon, connective tissue, embryo, esophagus, liver, lung, ovary, pancreas, prostate, skin, and stomach. Nevertheless, tumor HMGCR remains sensitive to isoprenoid-mediated degradation. Isoprenoids including monoterpenes (carvacrol, L-carvone, geraniol, perillyl alcohol), sesquiterpenes (cacalol, farnesol, β-ionone), diterpene (geranylgeranyl acetone), “mixed” isoprenoids (tocotrienols), and their derivatives suppress the growth of tumor cells with little impact on non-malignant cells. In cancer cells derived from breast, colon, liver, mesothelium, prostate, pancreas, and skin, statins and isoprenoids, including tocotrienols, geraniol, limonene, β-ionone and perillyl alcohol, synergistically suppress cell proliferation and associated signaling pathways. A blend of dietary lovastatin and δ-tocotrienol, each at no-effect doses, suppress the growth of implanted murine B16 melanomas in C57BL6 mice. Isoprenoids have potential as adjuvant agents to reduce the toxicities of statins in cancer prevention or therapy.

γ-Tocotrienol-Inhibited Cell Proliferation of Human Gastric Cancer by Regulation of Nuclear Factor-κB Activity

γ-Tocotrienol (γ-T3) exhibits the activity of anticancer via regulating cell signaling pathways. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), one of the crucial pro-inflammatory factors, is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of tumor. In the present study, NF-κB activity inhibited by γ-T3 was investigated in gastric cancer cells. Cell proliferation, NF-κB activity, active protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A), and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein were explored using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), methylene blue, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), malachite green, luciferase, and Western blotting assays. The effects of γ-T3 on tumor growth and the expression of NF-κB and PP2A proteins were also further examined by implanting human gastric cancer cells in a BALB/c nude mouse model. The results showed that γ-T3 significantly inhibited the cell proliferation and attenuated the NF-κB activity in vitro and in vivo. γ-T3 dramatically increased PP2A activity and protein expression, which suppressed ATM phosphorylation and its translocation to the cytoplasm in gastric cancer cells. Thus, our findings may provide mechanistic insight into effects of γ-T3 on the regulation of NF-κB activity by a PP2A-dependent mechanism and suggest that PP2A may serve as a molecular target for a potential chemopreventive agent.

Proteome Changes of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by 1,4-Benzoquinone

Benzene is metabolized to hydroquinone in liver and subsequently transported to bone marrow for further oxidization to 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), which may be related to the leukemia and other blood disorders. In the present study, we investigated the proteome profiles of human primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) treated by 1,4-BQ. We identified 32 proteins that were differentially expressed. Two of them, HSP27 and Vimentin, were verified at both mRNA and protein levels and their cellular localization was examined by immunofluorescence. We also found increased mRNA level of RAP1GDS1, a critical factor of metabolism that has been identified as a fusion partner in various hematopoietic malignancies. Therefore, these differentially expressed proteins can play important roles in benzene-mediated hematoxicity.

β-Ionone and its analogs as promising anticancer agents

β-Ionone is an end-ring analog of β-carotenoids which widely distributed in fruit and vegetables. Recent studies have demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and apoptosis induction properties of β-ionone in vitro and in vivo. Also, the studies have focused on investigating the β-ionone action on different types of malignant cells and the possible mechanisms of action. Moreover, the quest of new synthetic β-ionone-based compounds possessing anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and apoptosis induction activities may enable the discovery of compounds which can be used in combination regimes thus overcoming tumor resistance to conventional anticancer agents. These new agents will also be useful for targeting distinct signaling pathways, to activate selectively mechanisms for apoptosis in cancer cells but devoid of undesirable side effects. In this paper, we reviewed the potentialities of β-ionone and related compounds in cancer prevention and chemotherapy.

Hypoxic preconditioning decreases nuclear factor κB activity via Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1

Nuclear factor κB is a key mediator of inflammation during conditions of hypoxia. Here, we used models of hypoxic pre-conditioning as mechanism to decrease nuclear factor κB activity induced by hypoxia. Our initial studies suggested that Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 may be induced by hypoxic pre-conditioning and possibly involved in the regulation of nuclear factor κB. In this study we used Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 exogenous over-expression and knock-down to determine its effect on ataxia telangiectasia mutated--nuclear factor κB activation cascade. Our results demonstrated that hypoxic pre-conditioning significantly increased the expression of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 at mRNA and protein levels both in vitro and in vivo. Over-expression of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 significantly attenuated the hypoxia-mediated ataxia telangiectasia mutated phosphorylation and prevented its cytoplasm translocation where it functions to activate nuclear factor κB. We further determined that Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 activated the protein phosphatase 2A, preventing the phosphorylation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated serine-1981, the main regulatory site of ataxia telangiectasia mutated activity. Cellular levels of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 protein significantly decreased nuclear factor κB activation profiles and pro-inflammatory gene expression. Taken together, these results demonstrate that hypoxic pre-conditioning decreases the activation of nuclear factor κB through the transcriptional induction of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1.

Apoptotic efficacy of biogenic silver nanoparticles on human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines

This article describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of Alternanthera sessilis as a reducing agent by sonication, espousing green chemistry principles. Biologically synthesized nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have significant potential in the field of biopharmaceutics due to its smaller size entailing high surface area and synergistic effects of embedded biomolecules. In the present work the cytotoxic effect of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles studied by MTT assay against breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cell line) showed significant cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ value 3.04 μg/mL compared to that of standard cisplatin. The superior activity of the silver nanoparticles may be due to the spherical shape and smaller particle size 10–30 nm as confirmed from transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. The data obtained in the study reveal the potent therapeutic value of biogenic silver nanoparticles and the scope for further development of anticancer drugs.

Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) suppresses the growth of human colon cancer xenografts in Balb/C nude mice by the Wnt pathway

Tocotrienols have been shown many biologic functions such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, maintaining fertility and regulating the immune system and so on. In this study, after feeding with tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil (TRF) for 2 weeks, Balb/c nude mice were inoculated human colon SW620 cancer cell and then continued to feed TRF for 4 weeks. At termination of experiments, xenografts were removed and determined the expression of Wnt-pathways related protein by immunohistochemistry or western blotting. Liver tissues were homogenated for determining the levels of antioxidative enzymes activity or malondialdehyde (MDA). The results showed that TRF significantly inhibited the growth of xenografts in nude mice. TRF also affected the activity of antioxidative enzymes in the liver tissue of mice. These changes were partly contributed to activation of wnt pathways or affecting their related protein. Thus, these finding suggested that the potent anticancer effect of TRF is associated with the regulation of Wnt signal pathways.