Koetjapic acid: unveiling its potential as a saviour in the realm of biological and medicinal properties, with a focus on anticancer mechanism of action

Scientists have been compelled to search for alternative treatments due to the increasing prevalence of chemoresistance as well as the agonising and distressing side effects of both chemotherapy and radiation. Plant extracts have been exploited to treat various medical conditions for ages. Considering this fact, the main focus of various recent studies that are being conducted to find new and potent anticancer drugs involves the identification and utilisation of potential therapeutic chemicals present in plant extracts. Koetjapic acid (KJA), which belongs to the family of triterpenes, is primarily isolated from Sandoricum koetjape. Ongoing investigations into its therapeutic applications have revealed its tendency to impede the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Koetjapic acid activates the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and promotes the death of cancer cells. Moreover, it inhibits angiogenesis and the dissemination of tumour (metastasis) by targeting the VEGF signalling cascade. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of anticancer activity of koetjapic acid, providing significant insight into the compound's potential as an anticancer agent.

The health benefits of santol fruits and bioactive products isolated from Sandoricum koetjape Merr.: A scoping review

The santol tree (Sandoricum koetjape Merr.) is largely distributed in Southeast Asia. It produces useful timber and edible fruits, consumed fresh, and transformed. It has a wide range of traditional medicinal uses for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and digestive troubles. Numerous bioactive natural products have been isolated from the roots, leaves, stems, and fruits of S. koetjape, including flavonoids, limonoids, and terpenoids. The seeds are considered toxic and contain insecticidal limonoids. The present review provides a survey of the natural products isolated from different parts of the plant and discusses their pharmacological properties. Information on S. koetjape was collected through databases and analyzed, leading to the identification of about 30 natural products of interest. Bioactive compounds include limonoids, such as sandoripins A-B, sanjecumins A-B, and sandrapins A-E, and flavonoids with antioxidant, antibacterial, and insecticidal properties such as sandoricin and sandoripin derivatives. The santol plant contains various anti-inflammatory triterpenes, such as sentulic acid and koetjapic acid (KA). KA is the main product found in santol and a few other plants. This tetracyclic triterpenoid is endowed with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, with marked antimetastatic and antiangiogenic effects. Its potential molecular targets are discussed, notably the kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and other proteins (cyclooxygenase 2, DNA polymerase-β). The water-soluble derivative potassium koetjapate (KK) affords an orally bioavailable derivative, with superior antiangiogenic properties compared to KA. The health benefits associated with the consumption of santol fruits shall be further considered, and the design of hemi-synthetic analogs of KA encouraged. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The fruits of the santol tree are largely consumed in Asia and different parts of the plant (Sandoricum koetjape Merr.) are used in traditional medicine. Diverse bioactive terpenoids have been isolated from the plant. Their pharmacological properties are reviewed here, with a focus on the triterpene koetjapic acid which displays marked anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Several other bioactive natural products, including limonoids and flavonoids, are evoked as well, to shed light on the many active compounds found in the fruits and the whole plant. For a healthy life, the use of the plant in phytomedicine and the consumption of the santol fruit should be encouraged.

The phytochemical and anti-inflammatory studies of Dillenia suffruticosa leaves

The Dillenia suffruticosa leaves (Dilleniaceae), a folk medicine recommended in Southeast Asia for treating inflammation, were phytochemically studied for the first time and assessed for suppression of λ-carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats. The crude methanolic extract orally administered at 5,000 mg/kg, displayed no toxicity and at 250 to 1,000 mg/kg significantly suppressed the paw oedema. Two-isolated triterpenoids, betulinic acid (1) and koetjapic acid (2) orally administered at 50 mg/kg, significantly reduced the paw oedema, (p < 0.001) and (p < 0.005) at the fourth h onwards to 47.36% ± 2.23 and 53.43% ± 7.09, respectively, from 95.90% ± 6.88 oedema induced by λ-carrageenan alone. 1 and the isolated flavonoids of vitexin (3), tiliroside (4), and kaempferol (5), displayed moderately more of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 than COX-1 enzyme inhibition, whereas 2 was slightly more inhibition of COX-1. The in silico molecular docking studies provided support to the in vitro COX studies that the isolated compounds formed H-bonding with the amino acid residues at the COX-2 catalytic sites. The triterpenoids were bound to the peroxidase, possibly inhibiting the peroxidase reaction, whereas the flavonoids interacted more at the cyclooxygenase, resembling celecoxib, therefore providing evidences that these compounds were responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of D. suffruticosa.