In vitro anti-leukemic activity of the ethno-pharmacological plant Scutellaria orientalis ssp. carica endemic to western Turkey

Ethnobotanical Survey on Bitter Tea in Taiwan

Ethnopharmacological evidence: In Taiwan, herbal tea is considered a traditional medicine and has been consumed for hundreds of years. In contrast to regular tea, herbal teas are prepared using plants other than the regular tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Bitter tea (kǔ-chá), a series of herbal teas prepared in response to common diseases in Taiwan, is often made from local Taiwanese plants. However, the raw materials and formulations have been kept secret and verbally passed down by store owners across generations without a fixed recipe, and the constituent plant materials have not been disclosed.

Aim of the study: The aim was to determine the herbal composition of bitter tea sold in Taiwan, which can facilitate further studies on pharmacological applications and conserve cultural resources.

Materials and methods: Interviews were conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire. The surveyed respondents were traditional sellers of traditional herbal tea. The relevant literature was collated for a systematic analysis of the composition, characteristics, and traditional and modern applications of the plant materials used in bitter tea. We also conducted an association analysis of the composition of Taiwanese bitter tea with green herb tea (qing-cao-cha tea), another commonly consumed herbal tea in Taiwan, as well as herbal teas in neighboring areas outside Taiwan.

Results: After visiting a total of 59 stores, we identified 32 bitter tea formulations and 73 plant materials. Asteraceae was the most commonly used family, and most stores used whole plants. According to a network analysis of nine plant materials used in high frequency as drug pairs, Tithonia diversifolia and Ajuga nipponensis were found to be the core plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea.

Conclusion: Plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea were distinct, with multiple therapeutic functions. Further research is required to clarify their efficacy and mechanisms.

Integrating chemical profiling and network pharmacology analysis based on anti-inflammatory effects for quality control of Scutellaria barbata

INTRODUCTION

With the wide application of Scutellaria barbata D. Don for hepatitis and mastitis, its quality control issues have also received increasing attention. Based on the multi-component and multi-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, there is an urgent need to establish a quality evaluation system.

OBJECTIVES

This study intends to integrate the "quality-activity-quantification" strategy and establish an activity-related quality control method to ensure the safety and effectiveness of S. barbata.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/ion mobility-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/IM-QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the chemical components of S. barbata, and network pharmacological analysis was carried out on the identified components. The index components were determined on the basis of comprehensive activity prediction results and content information. At the same time, the contents of 16 batches of S. barbata from different origins were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 94 compounds were identified according to mass spectrometric data, 12 of which were isolated and structure-confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance technology. Network pharmacological analysis was applied to predict their key targets and the major pathways mediating their anti-inflammatory effects. On the basis of comprehensive activity prediction and content information, five components were chosen as crucial quality indicators of S. barbata, including scutellarin, scutellarein, luteolin, apigenin, and hispidulin.

CONCLUSION

In this study, 16 different S. barbata batches were compared, and five quality indicators were determined on the basis of qualitative and activity results. The present study provides useful information for evaluating the quality of S. barbata in different areas, and also provides a new basis for the development of quality evaluation methods.

Antiproliferative Wnt inhibitor wogonin prevents eryptosis following ionophoric challenge, hyperosmotic shock, oxidative stress, and metabolic deprivation

Anemia is a common complication of chemotherapy and may arise due to premature or suicidal death of red blood cells (RBCs). Prevention of RBC death thus lends itself as a promising strategy to counteract anemia. Wogonin (WGN; 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) is a Wnt inhibitor derived from Scutellaria baicalensis plant with potent cytotoxic and antitumor potential. However, the nature of interaction of WGN with human RBCs is unknown. RBCs from healthy participants were exposed to different hemolytic and eryptotic stimuli for 24 or 48 hr at 37°C in the presence and absence of 100 μM WGN. Calcium overload was induced by 2 μM ionomycin, hyperosmotic shock with excessive sucrose, oxidative stress by 2-phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), and metabolic deprivation by exclusion of glucose. Hemolysis was estimated from extracellular hemoglobin, phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure by Annexin V-FITC, intracellular calcium by Fluo4/AM, and oxidative stress by 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H₂ DCFDA). While WGN did not rescue the cells from the hemolytic activity of ionomycin, it reduced PS externalization by interfering with calcium influx under both ionomycin treatment and metabolic exhaustion. WGN also significantly inhibited PS exposure upon hyperosmotic shock, but the effect was independent of calcium entry. Moreover, WGN exhibited antihemolytic and anti-eryptotic activities against PEITC without appreciable reduction in ROS levels. Altogether, WGN prevents PEITC-induced hemolysis and suppresses eryptosis due to calcium accumulation, hyperosmotic shock, oxidative stress, and metabolic exhaustion. These novel insights may open new avenues into the therapeutic application of WGN for conditions in which anemia is commonly encountered, most notably cancer. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The herbal supplement Sho-Saiko-To (Xiaochaihu-tang) is commonly prescribed to relieve symptoms of liver disease. Flavonoids from the herbal constituents of Sho-Saiko-To have demonstrated considerable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties. In this work, we identify WGN, a major flavonoid in Sho-Saiko-To, as a novel inhibitor of hemolysis and eryptosis of human erythrocytes. Since inordinate erythrocyte death is a major obstacle in therapeutic drug development, our findings argue for the use of WGN as a natural alternative, either as a primary or an adjuvant drug, for a wide assortment of pathological conditions including cancer.

Fascinating Chemopreventive Story of Wogonin: A Chance to Hit on the Head in Cancer Treatment

Cancer, global havoc, is a group of debilitating diseases that strikes family as well as society. Cancer cases are drastically increasing these days. Despite many therapies and surgical procedures available, cancer is still difficult to control due to limited effective therapies or targeted therapies. Natural products can produce lesser side effects to the normal cells, which are the major demerit of chemotherapies and radiation. Wogonin, a natural product extracted from the plant, Scutellaria baicalensis has been widely studied and found with a high caliber to tackle most of the cancers via several mechanisms that include intrinsic as well as extrinsic apoptosis signaling pathways, carcinogenesis diminution, telomerase activity inhibition, metastasis inhibition in the inflammatory microenvironment, anti-angiogenesis, cell growth inhibition and arrest of the cell cycle, increased generation of H₂O₂ and accumulation of Ca²⁺ and also as an adjuvant along with anticancer drugs. This article discusses the role of wogonin in various cancers, its synergism with various drugs, and the mechanism by which wogonin controls tumor growth.

Cytotoxic constituents and a new hydroxycinnamic acid derivative from Leontodon saxatilis (Asteraceae, Cichorieae)

In our ongoing research for the discovery of new constituents with antimyeloma activity, we investigated 15 compounds present in the aerial parts of Leontodon saxatilis for their cytotoxic potential against NCI-H929, U266, and OPM2 cell lines. One of the isolated compounds displayed a new natural product and was identified as 5-feruloyl-2α-hydroxyquinic acid after LC-MS and NMR experiments. Of the remaining compounds, cichoric acid and three flavone glycosides, apigenin 4′-O-β-d-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-β-d-glucoside and luteolin 4′-O-β-d-glucoside, showed moderate cytotoxic activity, whereas the effects of two aglyones apigenin and luteolin were more pronounced. Though the cytotoxic potential of the two aglycones (against other cell lines) was reported in various studies, our work moreover showed that cooccurrence of these two compounds with similar components of lower activity led to comparable results and at the same time minimized the damage of healthy fibroblast cells. Thus, our work could be a starting point for additional studies on the synergistic effect of similar components against myeloma cell lines.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Leontodon saxatilis yielded six compounds with antimyeloma activity as well as crepidiaside A as a chemophenetic marker and 5-feruloyl-2α-hydroxyquinic acid as a new hydroxycinnamic acid derivative.

Structural Insight into the In Vitro Anti-Intravasative Properties of Flavonoids

We investigated the effect of 21 flavonoids in a three-dimensional in vitro system for their ability to inhibit gap formation by MCF-7 breast cancer spheroids in monolayers of lymphendothelial cells. Different representatives of the classes of flavones, flavonols, and flavanones were tested in the circular chemorepellent-induced defects (CCID)-assay. Bay11-7082, a known inhibitor of CCID formation served as the positive control. This study provides the first comparison of the potential of flavonoids to suppress features influencing the intravasation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells aggregates through the lymph endothelial barrier. The most significant effects were seen after incubation with the flavones luteolin, chrysin, and apigenin. Additional hydroxylation or methoxylation in positions 6 or 8, as expected, resulted in decreased activity. The tested flavanones remained without or low efficacy.

STUDY OF BAICALIN HYDROLYSIS KINETICS IN THE PROCESS OF ITS EXTRACTION FROM SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS GEORGI ROOTS

The aim of this study was to investigate the kinetics of baicalin hydrolysis in the process of its extraction from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots.

Materials and methods. For the studies, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots with a particle range of 0.1–0.5 mm were used. The method of extraction was a simple maceration during a specified period of time, the ratio of plant raw material : extractant was 1:10 w/v at the temperature of 24±1°С. Baicalin and baicalein contents were analyzed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP HPLC) at the analytical wavelength of 275 nm. The extractant was a water solution of ethanol 26, 43, 59, 72, 81, 97±1% v/v. The time of the extraction was from 1 to 24 hours.

Results. The experimental points of dependency of baicalin concentration in the extract on the time of extraction for ethanol solutions with a concentration of 43 and 72% v/v are closely approximated by a linear equation in coordinates lnC=f(t). The value of determination coefficient is more than R²˃0,99. Half lifetime for baicalin has been calculated: for ethanol with the concentration of 43% v/v it is 4.3±0.7 hours, and for ethanol with the concentration of 72% v/v it is 42.3±1.8 hours.

Conclusion. Baicalin hydrolysis kinetics in the process of its extraction from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots with 43 and 72% v/v ethanol concentration. has been studied. It has been established that the process of baicalin hydrolysis is well described by the first order kinetic equation. The constants of baicalin hydrolysis during its extraction from Scutelaria baicalensis roots with ethanol having different concentrations have been calculated. Recommendations on technology optimization for baicalin or baicalein extraction from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots have been given. 

NPAS2 regulates proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells via CDC25A-mediated cell cycle progression and apoptosis

Promoted proliferation and associated suppression of apoptosis at various stages of myeloid differentiation are well-known features of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but understanding of the molecular processes involved remains limited. As a crucial circadian agent, neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (NPAS2) is widely recognized as a promising predictor of clinical outcome in various malignancies. Nevertheless, the understanding of its influence on AML is insufficient. Using KD cells and expression assays, we carried out detailed investigation of the role of NPAS2 in AML in vivo and in vitro. Firstly, we found that NPAS2 expression was elevated in AML cells both in vivo and in vitro. NPAS2 knockdown via lentiviral infection clearly suppressed proliferation of MV4-11 and MOLM-14 cells. Additionally, NPAS2 knockdown caused G1/S cell cycle arrest (CCA), which inhibited CDC25A expression. Moreover, NPAS2 knockdown promoted cell death, as evidenced by increased caspase-3 cleavage, and change in Bcl2/Bax production. Excessive CDC25A expression eliminated G1/S CCA triggered by NPAS2 knockdown and death of NPAS2 knocked down MOLM and MV4-11 cells. The expression of CDC25A was stabilized by NPAS2, which induced cell cycle progression and participated in suppression of cell death by modulating caspase-3 cleavage, and expression of Bcl2/Bax. We therefore indicated NPAS2 to be a crucial modulator of survival as well as proliferation. Our research sheds light on the etiology of the proliferation of promyelocytes modulated via NPAS2 with regard to AML.

Medicinal Plants from Near East for Cancer Therapy

Background: Cancer is one of the major problems affecting public health worldwide. As other cultures, the populations of the Near East rely on medicinal herbs and their preparations to fight cancer. Methods: We compiled data derived from historical ethnopharmacological information as well as in vitro and in vivo results and clinical findings extracted from different literature databases including (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) during the past two decades. Results: In this survey, we analyzed the huge amount of data available on anticancer ethnopharmacological sources used in the Near East. Medicinal herbs are the most dominant ethnopharmacological formula used among cancer's patients in the Near East. The data obtained highlight for the first time the most commonly used medicinal plants in the Near East area for cancer treatment illustrating their importance as natural anticancer agents. The literature survey reveals that various Arum species, various Artemisia species, Calotropis procera, Citrullus colocynthis, Nigella sativa, Pulicaria crispa, various Urtica species, Withania somnifera, and others belong to the most frequently used plants among cancer patients in the Near East countries. Molecular modes of action that have been investigated for plant extracts and isolated compounds from Near East include cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction with participation of major player in these processes such as p53 and p21, Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c release, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, activation of caspases, etc. Conclusion: The ethnopharmacology of the Near East was influenced by Arabic and Islamic medicine and might be promising for developing new natural and safe anticancer agents. Further research is required to elucidate their cellular and molecular mechanisms and to estimate their clinical activity.

In vitro studies of the anticancer action of Tectaria cicutaria in human cancer cell lines: G0/G1 p53-associated cell cycle arrest-Part I

Objective

The rhizome of Tectaria cicutaria has been used in Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of various disorders. The objective of present investigation is to screen various extracts of the rhizomes of Tectaria cicutaria for anti-cancer activity and to investigate the mechanism involved.

Materials and methods

The rhizomes of Tectaria cicutaria were extracted with different solvents. In vitro anti-cancer activity of different rhizome extracts were studied in Human cancer Cell Lines using Sulphorodamine B (SRB) colorimetric cytotoxicity assay. The effect of ethanolic extract (TCe) on cell growth inhibition, modulation in gene expression, and induction of apoptosis using the K562 human leukemia cell line were studied. The extract was analyzed by GC-MS to identify their major chemical compounds.

Results

TCe shows antioxidant potential in both DPPH scavenging assay and reducing capacity. Flow cytometric analysis showed that 11 μg/ml of TCe arrested cell cycle progression at the G₀/G₁ phase. In the TCe treated K562 cells, the mRNA and protein expression level of p53 was strongly up-regulated in reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, its downstream target p21 level was also increased. The GC-MS study has depicted results with the presence of twelve different compounds which will require significant further efforts for structure and putative identification.

Conclusion

The present work has for the first time, tried to elucidate the anti leukemic potential of Tectaria cicutaria. TCe was more potent in K562 cells, altering the cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis.

Natural Compounds as Modulators of Cell Cycle Arrest: Application for Anticancer Chemotherapies

Natural compounds from various plants, microorganisms and marine species play an important role in the discovery novel components that can be successfully used in numerous biomedical applications, including anticancer therapeutics. Since uncontrolled and rapid cell division is a hallmark of cancer, unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying mitosis is key to understanding how various natural compounds might function as inhibitors of cell cycle progression. A number of natural compounds that inhibit the cell cycle arrest have proven effective for killing cancer cells in vitro, in vivo and in clinical settings. Significant advances that have been recently made in the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the cell cycle regulation using the chemotherapeutic agents is of great importance for improving the efficacy of targeted therapeutics and overcoming resistance to anticancer drugs, especially of natural origin, which inhibit the activities of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, as well as other proteins and enzymes involved in proper regulation of cell cycle leading to controlled cell proliferation.

Established Human Cell Lines as Models to Study Anti-leukemic Effects of Flavonoids

Despite the extensive work on pathological mechanisms and some recent advances in the treatment of different hematological malignancies, leukemia continues to present a significant challenge being frequently considered as incurable disease. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic agents with high efficacy and low toxicity is urgently needed to improve the overall survival rate of patients. In this comprehensive review article, the current knowledge about the anticancer activities of flavonoids as plant secondary polyphenolic metabolites in the most commonly used human established leukemia cell lines (HL-60, NB4, KG1a, U937, THP-1, K562, Jurkat, CCRF- CEM, MOLT-3, and MOLT-4) is compiled, revealing clear anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, cell cycle arresting, and differentiation inducing effects for certain compounds. Considering the low toxicity of these substances in normal blood cells, the presented data show a great potential of flavonoids to be developed into novel anti-leukemia agents applicable also in the malignant cells resistant to the current conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.

Advances of wogonin, an extract from Scutellaria baicalensis, for the treatment of multiple tumors

As the major bioactive compound of Scutellaria baicalensis that has been approved to be effective as an anti-inflammatory and antiviral inhibitor in cardiovascular diseases, wogonin (WG) showed potent and promising antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. It has been proved that WG has the ability to inhibit the growth of tumor cells, induce apoptosis, and suppress angiogenesis. The molecular mechanisms involve reactive oxygen species, Ca²⁺, NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of WG with 5-fluorouracil, etoposide, and adriamycin to enhance chemotherapy and reverse drug resistance has also been confirmed. In this review, we summarize the advances in recent years on the antitumor effect of WG on multiple tumors; in addition, we also present information regarding the synergistic and chemosensitizing effects of WG with other drugs to illustrate its potential use in the clinic.

Potential Use of Turkish Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Various Diseases

Medicinal plants are sources of health-promoting substances, including phytochemicals and phytoalexins that comprise polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins A, C, E and several other constituents. Many studies have indicated that medicinal plants have been used to treat human diseases for thousands of years owing to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Medicinal plants reduce the oxidative stress in cells and prevent cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative and digestive system disorders. These potential beneficial effects have been attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds that show antioxidant properties by acting as free radical scavengers or metal chelators, reducing the reactions that produce reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Considering the importance of medicinal plants in terms of their beneficial health effects, some of the medicinally important plants grown in Turkey are covered in this review with respect to their antioxidant potential and phytochemical profile.

Therapeutic targeting the cell division cycle 25 (CDC25) phosphatases in human acute myeloid leukemia--the possibility to target several kinases through inhibition of the various CDC25 isoforms

The cell division cycle 25 (CDC25) phosphatases include CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C. These three molecules are important regulators of several steps in the cell cycle, including the activation of various cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). CDC25s seem to have a role in the development of several human malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and CDC25 inhibition is therefore considered as a possible anticancer strategy. Firstly, upregulation of CDC25A can enhance cell proliferation and the expression seems to be controlled through PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling, a pathway possibly mediating chemoresistance in human AML. Loss of CDC25A is also important for the cell cycle arrest caused by differentiation induction of malignant hematopoietic cells. Secondly, high CDC25B expression is associated with resistance against the antiproliferative effect of PI3K-Akt-mTOR inhibitors in primary human AML cells, and inhibition of this isoform seems to reduce AML cell line proliferation through effects on NFκB and p300. Finally, CDC25C seems important for the phenotype of AML cells at least for a subset of patients. Many of the identified CDC25 inhibitors show cross-reactivity among the three CDC25 isoforms. Thus, by using such cross-reactive inhibitors it may become possible to inhibit several molecular events in the regulation of cell cycle progression and even cytoplasmic signaling, including activation of several CDKs, through the use of a single drug. Such combined strategies will probably be an advantage in human cancer treatment.

Exploring therapeutic potentials of baicalin and its aglycone baicalein for hematological malignancies

Despite tremendous advances in the targeted therapy for various types of hematological malignancies with successful improvements in the survival rates, emerging resistance issues are startlingly high and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In addition, chemoprevention is currently becoming an elusive goal. Plant-derived natural products have garnered considerable attention in recent years due to the potential dual functions as chemotherapeutics and dietary chemoprevention. One of the particularly ubiquitous families is the polyphenolic flavonoids. Among them, baicalin and its aglycone baicalein have been widely investigated in hematological malignancies because both of them exhibit remarkable pharmacological properties. This review focuses on the recent achievements in drug discovery research associated with baicalin and baicalein for hematological malignancy therapies. The promising anticancer activities of these two flavonoids targeting diverse signaling pathways and their potential biological mechanisms in different types of hematological malignancies, as well as the combination strategy with baicalin or baicalein as chemotherapeutic adjuvants for recent therapies in these intractable diseases are discussed. Meanwhile, the biotransformation of baicalin and baicalein and the relevant approaches to improve their bioavailability are also summarized.

Cyclamen exerts cytotoxicity in solid tumor cell lines: a step toward new anticancer agents?

Cyclamen coum is a traditional medicinal plant in the Turkey. Its anticancer properties and whether cyclamen extract induces any cytotoxicity in solid cancer cell lines have not been thoroughly investigated previously. Therefore we examined cytotoxic effects on cervical cancer, HeLa, and non small cell lung cancer cell, H1299, lines. Cyclamen extract induced cellular death of both HeLa and H1299 cells in a dose dependent manner. We also analyzed the capacity of cyclamen extract to induce apoptosis by the TUNEL method. Here, we for the first time report that the extract of Cyclamen coum, an endemic plant for Turkey, can induce cytotoxicity via apoptosis in HeLa and H1299 cells. These results imply that cyclamen extract can be further analyzed to potentially find novel anticancer compounds.

The dichloromethane extract of the ethnomedicinal plant Neurolaena lobata inhibits NPM/ALK expression which is causal for anaplastic large cell lymphomagenesis

The present study investigates extracts of Neuolaena lobata, an anti-protozoan ethnomedicinal plant of the Maya, regarding its anti-neoplastic properties. Firstly, extracts of increasing polarity were tested in HL-60 cells analyzing inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis induction. Secondly, the most active extract was further tested in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) cell lines of human and mouse origin. The dichloromethane extract inhibited proliferation of HL-60, human and mouse ALCL cells with an IC50 of ~2.5, 3.7 and 2.4 µg/ml, respectively and arrested cells in the G2/M phase. The extract induced the checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Chk2 and perturbed the orchestrated expression of the Cdc25 family of cell cycle phosphatases which was paralleled by the activation of p53, p21 and downregulation of c-Myc. Importantly, the expression of NPM/ALK and its effector JunB were drastically decreased, which correlated with the activation of caspase 3. Subsequently also platelet derived growth factor receptor β was downregulated, which was recently shown to be transcriptionally controlled by JunB synergizing with ALK in ALCL development. We show that a traditional healing plant extract downregulates various oncogenes, induces tumor suppressors, inhibits cell proliferation and triggers apoptosis of malignant cells. The discovery of the 'Active Principle(s)' is warranted.

The coumarin psoralidin enhances anticancer effect of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)

Coumarins are a very common type of secondary plant metabolites with a broad spectrum of biological activities. Psoralidin is a naturally occurring furanocoumarin isolated from Psoralea corylifolia possessing anticancer and chemopreventive properties. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers apoptosis in cancer cells with no toxicity toward normal tissues. Endogenous TRAIL plays an important role in immune surveillance and defence against cancer cells. Coumarins can modulate TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. We examined the cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of psoralidin in combination with TRAIL on HeLa cancer cells. The cytotoxicity was measured by MTT and LDH assays. The apoptosis was detected using annexin V-FITC staining and mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated using DePsipher staining by fluorescence microscopy. Death receptor (TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5) expression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Psoralidin enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells through increased expression of TRAIL-R2 death receptor and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Our study indicated that psoralidin augmented the anticancer effects of TRAIL and confirmed a potential use of coumarins in cancer chemoprevention.

Fractionation of an Extract of Pluchea odorata Separates a Property Indicative for the Induction of Cell Plasticity from One That Inhibits a Neoplastic Phenotype

Introduction. Several studies demonstrated that anti-inflammatory remedies exhibit excellent anti-neoplastic properties. An extract of Pluchea odorata (Asteraceae), which is used for wound healing and against inflammatory conditions, was fractionated and properties correlating to anti-neoplastic and wound healing effects were separated. Methods. Up to six fractionation steps using silica gel, Sephadex columns, and distinct solvent systems were used, and eluted fractions were analysed by thin layer chromatography, apoptosis, and proliferation assays. The expression of oncogenes and proteins regulating cell migration was investigated by immunoblotting after treating HL60 cells with the most active fractions. Results. Sequential fractionations enriched anti-neoplastic activities which suppressed oncogene expression of JunB, c-Jun, c-Myc, and Stat3. Furthermore, a fraction (F4.6.3) inducing or keeping up expression of the mobility markers MYPT, ROCK1, and paxillin could be separated from another fraction (F4.3.7), which inhibited these markers. Conclusions. Wound healing builds up scar or specific tissue, and hence, compounds enhancing cell migration support this process. In contrast, successful anti-neoplastic therapy combats tumour progression, and thus, suppression of cell migration is mandatory.

Analysis of Essential Oils from Scutellaria orientalis ssp. alpina and S. utriculata by GC and GC-MS

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from aerial parts of Scutellaria orientalis L. ssp. alpina (Boiss.) O. Schwarz and S. utriculata Labill. growing wild in Lebanon, were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. In S. orientalis ssp. alpina, strongly characterized by sesquiterpenes (41.2%) and particularly sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (31.7%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (11.7%) was recognized as the main constituent, together with hexadecanoic acid (7.6%), caryophyllene (7.4%), caryophyllene oxide (6.8%), 4-vinylguaiacol (5.4%) and germacrene D (5.4%). S. utriculata oil was instead constituted above all by monoterpenes (42.2%), particularly oxygen containing monoterpenes (39.9%), and in this oil the main compounds were linalool (20.1%), 4-vinyl guaiacol (15.5%), α-terpineol (8.9%), ( E)-nerolidol (8.9%) and geraniol (8.2%).

Apoptotic effects of chrysin in human cancer cell lines

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid currently under investigation due to its important biological anti-cancer properties. In most of the cancer cells tested, chrysin has shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis, and is more potent than other tested flavonoids in leukemia cells, where chrysin is likely to act via activation of caspases and inactivation of Akt signaling in the cells. Moreover, structure-activity relationships have revealed that the chemical structure of chrysin meets the key structural requirements of flavonoids for potent cytotoxicity in leukemia cells. It is possible that combination therapy or modified chrysin could be more potent than single-agent use or administration of unmodified chrysin. This study may help to develop ways of improving the effectiveness of chrysin in the treatment of leukemia and other human cancers in vitro.

Chalcones enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells

Chalcones exhibit chemopreventive and antitumor effects. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a naturally occurring anticancer agent that induces apoptosis in cancer cells and is not toxic to normal cells. We examined the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of five chalcones in combination with TRAIL on prostate cancer cells. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT and LDH assays. The apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC. Our study showed that all five tested chalcones: chalcone, licochalcone-A, isobavachalcone, xanthohumol, butein markedly augmented TRAIL-mediated apoptosis and cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cells and confirmed the significant role of chalcones in chemoprevention of prostate cancer.