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Michalkova R, Mirossay L, Kello M, Mojzisova G, Baloghova J, Podracka A, Mojzis J. Anticancer Potential of Natural Chalcones: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10354. [PMID: 37373500 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There is no doubt that significant progress has been made in tumor therapy in the past decades. However, the discovery of new molecules with potential antitumor properties still remains one of the most significant challenges in the field of anticancer therapy. Nature, especially plants, is a rich source of phytochemicals with pleiotropic biological activities. Among a plethora of phytochemicals, chalcones, the bioprecursors of flavonoid and isoflavonoids synthesis in higher plants, have attracted attention due to the broad spectrum of biological activities with potential clinical applications. Regarding the antiproliferative and anticancer effects of chalcones, multiple mechanisms of action including cell cycle arrest, induction of different forms of cell death and modulation of various signaling pathways have been documented. This review summarizes current knowledge related to mechanisms of antiproliferative and anticancer effects of natural chalcones in different types of malignancies including breast cancers, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, lung cancers, renal and bladder cancers, and melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radka Michalkova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Ladislav Mirossay
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martin Kello
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Gabriela Mojzisova
- Center of Clinical and Preclinical Research MEDIPARK, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Janette Baloghova
- Department of Dermatovenerology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Anna Podracka
- Department of Dermatovenerology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jan Mojzis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
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Deng N, Qiao M, Li Y, Liang F, Li J, Liu Y. Anticancer effects of licochalcones: A review of the mechanisms. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1074506. [PMID: 36755942 PMCID: PMC9900005 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1074506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a disease with a high fatality rate representing a serious threat to human health. Researchers have tried to identify effective anticancer drugs. Licorice is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with various pharmacological properties, and licorice-derived flavonoids include licochalcones like licochalcone A, licochalcone B, licochalcone C, licochalcone D, licochalcone E, and licochalcone H. By regulating the expression in multiple signaling pathways such as the EGFR/ERK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, p38/JNK, JAK2/STAT3, MEK/ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, and MKK4/JNK pathways, and their downstream proteins, licochalcones can activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and death receptor pathway, promote autophagy-related protein expression, inhibit the expression of cell cycle proteins and angiogenesis factors, regulate autophagy and apoptosis, and inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Among the licochalcones, the largest number of studies examined licochalcone A, far more than other licochalcones. Licochalcone A not only has prominent anticancer effects but also can be used to inhibit the efflux of antineoplastic drugs from cancer cells. Moreover, derivatives of licochalcone A exhibit strong antitumor effects. Currently, most results of the anticancer effects of licochalcones are derived from cell experiments. Thus, more clinical studies are needed to confirm the antineoplastic effects of licochalcones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Deng
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mingming Qiao
- Chongqing Institute for Food and Drug Control, Chongqing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fengyan Liang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yanfeng Liu,
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Yang Y, Wu H, Zou X, Chen Y, He R, Jin Y, Zhou B, Ge C, Yang Y. A novel synthetic chalcone derivative, 2,4,6-trimethoxy-4'-nitrochalcone (Ch-19), exerted anti-tumor effects through stimulating ROS accumulation and inducing apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. Cell Stress Chaperones 2022; 27:645-657. [PMID: 36242757 PMCID: PMC9672279 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-022-01302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer has always been associated with poor prognosis and a low five-year survival rate. Chalcone, a flavonoid family member, has shown anti-tumor property in several types of cancer. However, few studies reported the potency and mechanisms of action of synthetic Chalcone derivatives against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel chalcone analogs and Ch-19 was selected for its superior anti-tumor potency. Results indicated that Ch-19 shows a dose- and time-dependent anti-tumor activity in both KYSE-450 and Eca-109 esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, treatment of Ch-19 resulted in the regression of KYSE-450 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, we investigated the potential mechanism involved in the effective anti-tumor effects of Ch-19. As a result, we observed that Ch-19 treatment promoted ROS accumulation and caused G2/M phase arrest in both Eca-109 and KYSE-450 cancer cell lines, thereby resulting in cell apoptosis. Taken together, our study provided a novel synthetic chalcone derivative as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic candidate for treating esophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - He Wu
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xiao Zou
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, The First People's Hospital of Taian, Taian, China
| | - Yongye Chen
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Runjia He
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yibo Jin
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Bei Zhou
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Chunpo Ge
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Yun Yang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
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Constantinescu T, Lungu CN. Anticancer Activity of Natural and Synthetic Chalcones. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11306. [PMID: 34768736 PMCID: PMC8582663 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a condition caused by many mechanisms (genetic, immune, oxidation, and inflammatory). Anticancer therapy aims to destroy or stop the growth of cancer cells. Resistance to treatment is theleading cause of the inefficiency of current standard therapies. Targeted therapies are the most effective due to the low number of side effects and low resistance. Among the small molecule natural compounds, flavonoids are of particular interest for theidentification of new anticancer agents. Chalcones are precursors to all flavonoids and have many biological activities. The anticancer activity of chalcones is due to the ability of these compounds to act on many targets. Natural chalcones, such as licochalcones, xanthohumol (XN), panduretin (PA), and loncocarpine, have been extensively studied and modulated. Modification of the basic structure of chalcones in order to obtain compounds with superior cytotoxic properties has been performed by modulating the aromatic residues, replacing aromatic residues with heterocycles, and obtaining hybrid molecules. A huge number of chalcone derivatives with residues such as diaryl ether, sulfonamide, and amine have been obtained, their presence being favorable for anticancer activity. Modification of the amino group in the structure of aminochalconesis always favorable for antitumor activity. This is why hybrid molecules of chalcones with different nitrogen hetercycles in the molecule have been obtained. From these, azoles (imidazole, oxazoles, tetrazoles, thiazoles, 1,2,3-triazoles, and 1,2,4-triazoles) are of particular importance for the identification of new anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Constantinescu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Claudiu N. Lungu
- Department of Surgery, Country Emergency Hospital Braila, 810249 Braila, Romania
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Synthetic methods and biological applications of retrochalcones isolated from the root of Glycyrrhiza species: A review. RESULTS IN CHEMISTRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2021.100216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Microbial Transformation of Licochalcones. Molecules 2019; 25:molecules25010060. [PMID: 31878031 PMCID: PMC6982849 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial transformation of licochalcones B (1), C (2), D (3), and H (4) using the filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger and Mucor hiemalis was investigated. Fungal transformation of the licochalcones followed by chromatographic separations led to the isolation of ten new compounds 5–14, including one hydrogenated, three dihydroxylated, three expoxidized, and three glucosylated metabolites. Their structures were elucidated by combined analyses of UV, IR, MS, NMR, and CD spectroscopic data. Absolute configurations of the 2″,3″-diols in the three dihydroxylated metabolites were determined by ECD experiments according to the Snatzke’s method. The trans-cis isomerization was observed for the metabolites 7, 11, 13, and 14 as evidenced by the analysis of their 1H-NMR spectra and HPLC chromatograms. This could be useful in better understanding of the trans-cis isomerization mechanism of retrochalcones. The fungal transformation described herein also provides an effective method to expand the structural diversity of retrochalcones for further biological studies.
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