Calotroposides H-N, new cytotoxic oxypregnane oligoglycosides from the root bark of Calotropis procera

Calotropis procera extract inhibits prostate cancer through regulation of autophagy

Current treatment options available for prostate cancer (PCa) patients have many adverse side effects and hence, new alternative therapies need to be explored. Anticancer potential of various phytochemicals derived from Calotropis procera has been studied in many cancers but no study has investigated the effect of leaf extract of C. procera on PCa cells. Hence, we investigated the effect of C. procera leaf extract (CPE) on cellular properties of androgen-independent PC-3 and androgen-sensitive 22Rv1 cells. A hydroalcoholic extract of C. procera was prepared and MTT assay was performed to study the effect of CPE on viability of PCa cells. The effect of CPE on cell division ability, migration capability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was studied using colony formation assay, wound-healing assay and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay, respectively. Caspase activity assay and LDH assay were performed to study the involvement of apoptosis and necrosis in CPE-mediated cell death. Protein levels of cell cycle, antioxidant, autophagy and apoptosis markers were measured by western blot. The composition of CPE was identified using untargeted LC-MS analysis. Results showed that CPE decreased the viability of both the PCa cells, PC-3 and 22Rv1, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Also, CPE significantly inhibited the colony-forming ability, migration and endogenous ROS production in both the cell lines. Furthermore, CPE significantly decreased NF-κB protein levels and increased the protein levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p27. A significant increase in expression of autophagy markers was observed in CPE-treated PC-3 cells while autophagy markers were downregulated in 22Rv1 cells after CPE exposure. Hence, it can be concluded that CPE inhibits PCa cell viability possibly by regulating the autophagy pathway and/or altering the ROS levels. Thus, CPE can be explored as a possible alternative therapeutic agent for PCa.

Antimicrobial, Antigenotoxicity, and Characterization of Calotropis procera and Its Rhizosphere-Inhabiting Actinobacteria: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Calotropis procera (C. procera) is a wild shrub that is a medicinal plant found in abundance throughout Saudi Arabia. In this study, we investigated the phytochemical composition and antigenotoxic properties of the ethanolic extract of C. procera, in addition to the antimicrobial activity of the plant and its rhizospheric actinobacteria effects against pathogenic microorganisms. Soil-extract medium supplemented with glycerol as a carbon source and starch–casein agar medium was used for isolation of actinobacteria from rhizosphere. From the plant, a total of 31 compounds were identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The main components were α-amyrin (39.36%), lupeol acetate (17.94%), phytol (13.32%), hexadecanoic acid (5.55%), stigmasterol (3.16%), linolenic acid (3.04%), and gombasterol A (2.14%). C. procera plant extract’s antimicrobial activity was investigated using an agar well-diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against six pathogenic microbial strains. The plant extract of C. procera was considered significantly active against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Escherichia coli, with inhibition zones of 18.66 mm, 21.26 mm, and 21.93 mm, respectively. The plant extract was considered to be a moderate inhibitor against Bacillus subtilis, with MIC ranging from 0.60–1.50 mg/mL. On the other hand, the isolated actinobacteria were considered to be a moderate inhibitor against S. aureus (MIC of 86 µg/mL), and a potent inhibitor, strain CALT_2, against Candida albicans (MIC of 35 µg/mL). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the potential strains belonged to the genus Streptomyces. The effect of C. procera extract against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced genotoxicity was examined by evaluating chromosome abnormalities in mouse somatic cells and DNA fragmentation assays. The current study revealed that oral pretreatment of C. procera (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w.) for 1, 7, and 14 days to cyclophosphamide-treated animals significantly reduced chromosomal abnormalities as well as DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, C. procera extract had antimicrobial and antigenotoxic effects against CP-induced genotoxicity.

A review on phytochemical constituents and pharmacological potential of Calotropis procera

Calotropis procera is locally known as Aak or Madar in Hindi, milk weed in English and belongs to the family Apocynaceae and subfamily Asclepiadoideae. Although a wasteland plant, it is of sacred use as its flowers are offered for worshipping Lord Shiva, a Hindu God. Tribes all over the world use the plant in treatment of various diseases like snake bite, body pain, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, sexual disorders, skin diseases and many more. This plant contains various phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, terpenoids, cardenolides, steroids oxypregnanes etc. Though literature searches reveal many reviews about ethnomedicinal uses, chemical composition and pharmacological activities, no recent papers are available that provide an overview of the therapeutic potential and toxicity of Calotropis procera. Hence, the insight of this review is to provide a systemic summary of phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutic potential of Calotropis procera and to highlight the gaps in the knowledge so as to offer inspiration for future research.

Calotropis procera is also known as Aak or Madar. The present review provides a systematic outline of phytochemistry, toxicology, pharmacology and therapeutic potential of Calotropis procera.

Review On Documented Medicinal Plants Used For The Treatment Of Cancer

Background:

Cancer is a frightful disease and it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Naturally derived compounds are gaining interest of research workers as they have less toxic side effects as compared to currently used treatments such as chemotherapy. Plants are the pool of chemical compounds which provides a promising future for research on cancer.

Objective:

This review paper provides updated information gathered on medicinal plants and isolated phytoconstituents used as anticancer agents and summarises the plant extracts and their isolated chemical constituents exhibiting anticancer potential on clinical trials.

Methods:

An extensive bibliographic investigation was carried out by analysing worldwide established scientific databases like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar etc. In next few decades, herbal medicine may become a new epoch of medical system.

Results:

Many researches are going on medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer but it is a time to increase further experimental studies on plant extracts and their chemical constituents to find out their mechanism of action at molecular level.

Conclusion:

The article may help many researchers to start off further experimentation that might lead to the drugs for the cancer treatment.

An Overview of the Characteristics and Potential of Calotropis procera From Botanical, Ecological, and Economic Perspectives

Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand. (commonly known as the apple of sodom, calotrope, and giant milkweed) is an evergreen, perennial shrub of the family Apocynaceae, mainly found in arid and semi-arid regions. It is a multipurpose plant, which can be utilized for medicine, fodder, and fuel purposes, timber and fiber production, phytoremediation, and synthesis of nanoparticles. It has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems across North Africa, Middle East Asia, and South-East Asia. At present, it is being extensively explored for its potential pharmacological applications. Several reports also suggest its prospects in the food, textile, and paper industries. Besides, C. procera has also been acknowledged as an ornamental species. High pharmacological potential and socio-economic value have led to the pantropical introduction of the plant. Morpho-physiological adaptations and the ability to tolerate various abiotic stresses enabled its naturalization beyond the introduced areas. Now, it is recognized as an obnoxious environmental weed in several parts of the world. Its unnatural expansion has been witnessed in the regions of South America, the Caribbean Islands, Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, Seychelles, and several Pacific Islands. In Australia, nearly 3.7 million hectares of drier areas, including rangelands and Savannahs, have been invaded by the plant. In this review, multiple aspects of C. procera have been discussed including its general characteristics, current and potential uses, and invasive tendencies. The objectives of this review are a) to compile the information available in the literature on C. procera, to make it accessible for future research, b) to enlist together its potential applications being investigated in different fields, and c) to acknowledge C. procera as an emerging invasive species of arid and semi-arid regions.

Antimicrobial activity of green silver nanoparticles from endophytic fungi isolated from Calotropis procera (Ait) latex

Endophytes, a potential source of bioactive secondary metabolites, were isolated from the widely used medicinal plant Calotropis procera Ait. Approximately 675 segments from 15 Calotropis procera plants and 15 latex samples were assessed for the presence of endophytic fungi. Finally, eight fungal species were isolated and identified based on their macro- and micro-morphology. The endophytic fungal filtrates were screened for their antimicrobial activity against 11 important pathogenic micro-organisms. The filtrates of nanoparticles were from three of the eight isolated endophytic fungi, namely, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, and were highly effective against the tested bacteria, while the remaining endophytic fungal filtrates displayed low activity.

The binding proximity of methyl β-lilacinobioside isolated from Caralluma retrospiciens with topoisomerase II attributes apoptosis in breast cancer cell line

The alterations in somatic genomes that controls the mechanism of cell division as a main cause of cancer, and then the drug that specifically toxic to the cancer cells further complicates the process of the development of the widely effective potential anticancer drug. The side effects of the drug as well as the radiotherapy used for the treatment of cancer is severe; therefore, the search of the natural products from the sources of wild plants having anticancer potential is become immense importance today. The ethno-medicinal survey undertaken in Al-Fayfa and Wadi-E-Damad region of southern Saudi Arabia revealed that the Caralluma retrospiciens (Ehrenb.) N.E.Br. (family Apocynaceae) is being used for the treatment of cancer by the native inhabitants. The biological evaluation of anticancer potential of bioassay-guided fractionations of methanolic extract of whole plant of C. retrospiciens against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) followed by characterization using spectroscopic methods confirmed the presence of methyl β-lilacinobioside, a novel active constituent reported for the first time from C. retrospiciens, is capable of inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by regulating ROS mediated autophagy, and thus validated the folkloric claim. Based on a small-scale computational target screening, Topoisomerase II was identified as the potential binding target of methyl β-lilacinobioside.

Calotroposid A: a Glycosides Terpenoids from Calotropis gigantea Induces Apoptosis of Colon Cancer WiDr Cells through Cell Cycle Arrest G2/M and Caspase 8 Expression

Objective:

This study aims to isolate the active anticancer compound from ethyl acetate fraction extracted from the roots of Calotropis gigantea and to determine the operating mechanism of the isolates towards WiDr colon cancer cells.

Methods:

the isolation was conducted by using bioassay guided isolation approach method. The cytotoxic potential was determined by using MTT method. The chemical structure was identified by using UPLCMS/MS and NMR-1H spectroscopy. The cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction were determined by flow cytometry method. The expression of caspase-8 was determined by immunocytochemistry method.

Results:

The results showed that the active compounds are obtained calotroposid A compound which is glycosides terpenoids. Calotroposide A is capable of inhibiting the growth of WiDr colon cancer cells at IC₅₀ 17.23µg/ml. Cell apoptosis induction took place and was indicated by cell apoptosis increase, S and G2/M accumulation and by caspase-8 expression.

Conclusion:

Calotroposide A induces anticancer activity against WiDr colon cancer cells by means of apoptosis induction mechanism through extrinsic pathway with increased expression of caspase-8.

Transcriptome and Metabolite analysis reveal candidate genes of the cardiac glycoside biosynthetic pathway from Calotropis procera

Calotropis procera is a medicinal plant of immense importance due to its pharmaceutical active components, especially cardiac glycosides (CG). As genomic resources for this plant are limited, the genes involved in CG biosynthetic pathway remain largely unknown till date. Our study on stage and tissue specific metabolite accumulation showed that CG's were maximally accumulated in stems of 3 month old seedlings. De novo transcriptome sequencing of same was done using high throughput Illumina HiSeq platform generating 44074 unigenes with average mean length of 1785 base pair. Around 66.6% of unigenes were annotated by using various public databases and 5324 unigenes showed significant match in the KEGG database involved in 133 different pathways of plant metabolism. Further KEGG analysis resulted in identification of 336 unigenes involved in cardenolide biosynthesis. Tissue specific expression analysis of 30 putative transcripts involved in terpenoid, steroid and cardenolide pathways showed a positive correlation between metabolite and transcript accumulation. Wound stress elevated CG levels as well the levels of the putative transcripts involved in its biosynthetic pathways. This result further validated the involvement of identified transcripts in CGs biosynthesis. The identified transcripts will lay a substantial foundation for further research on metabolic engineering and regulation of cardiac glycosides biosynthesis pathway genes.

Lipoxygenase inhibitors from the latex of Calotropis Procera

A radical-scavenging, guided phytochemical study of the latex of Calotropis Procera afforded five lignans (1-5), including a new one (4). The structural determination was accomplished using 1D- and 2D-NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and correlation with known compounds. Among the isolated compounds, acylated lignans (3-5) showed stronger antioxidant activity than non-acylated derivatives (1,2). Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by determining the inhibitory potential against 5- and 15-lipoxygenase enzymes. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was observed in compound 4, with IC50s values of 7.6 µM and 2.7 µM against 5-LOX and 15-LOX, respectively.

Bioactivity guided isolation of oxypregnane-oligoglycosides (calotroposides) from the root bark of Calotropis gigantea as potent anticancer agents

Bioactivity guided isolation of oxypregnane-oligoglycosides (calotroposides) from the ethanolic extract of root bark of Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand. with purple flowers has been performed and isolated pure compounds has been evaluated for anticancer activity.

Cytotoxic cardenolides from the latex of Calotropis procera

Three new cardenolides (3, 9 and 10), along with eight known ones, were isolated from the latex of Calotropis procera. The structural determination was accomplished by the 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra as well as HRESIMS analysis. The growth inhibitory activity of the latex and its sub-fractions as well as isolated compounds was evaluated against human A549 and Hela cell lines. The results exhibited that latex had strong growth inhibitory activity with IC50s of (3.37 μM, A-549) and (6.45 μM, Hela). Among the four extracts (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous), chloroform extract displayed the highest potential cytotoxic activity, with IC50s of (0.985 μM, A-549) and (1.471 μM, Hela). All the isolated compounds displayed various degrees of cytotoxic activity and the highest activity was observed by calactin (1) with IC50s values of (0.036 μM, A-549) and (0.083 μM, Hela). None of these isolated compounds exhibited good antimicrobial activity evaluated by determination of their MICs using the broth microdilution method against various infectious pathogens. The structure-activity relationships for cytotoxic activity were also discussed.