Effects of karanjin on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human A549, HepG2 and HL-60 cancer cells

The molecular mechanism of action for the potent antitumor component extracted using supercritical fluid extraction from Croton crassifolius root

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The root of Croton crassifolius has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), called Radix Croton Crassifolius, and commonly known as "Ji Gu Xiang" in Chinese. Its medicinal value has been recorded in several medical books or handbooks, such as "Sheng Cao Yao Xing Bei Yao", "Ben Cao Qiu Yuan" and "Zhong Hua Ben Cao". It has been traditional employed for treating sore throat, stomach-ache, rheumatism and cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

At present, there are limited studies on the evaluation of low-polarity extracts of roots in C. crassifolius. Consequently, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor effect of the low-polarity extract of C. crassifolius root.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Extracts were obtained by supercritical fluid extraction. The extracts were tested for antitumor effects in vitro on several cancer cell lines. A CCK-8 kit was used for further analysis of cell viability. A flow cytometer and propidium iodide staining were used to evaluate the cell cycle and apoptosis. Hoechst staining, JC-1 staining and the fluorescence probe DCFH-DA were used to evaluate apoptotic cells. Molecular mechanisms of action were analyzed by quantitative RT‒PCR and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was used for the evaluation of xenograft tumors in male BALB/c mice. Finally, molecular docking was employed to predict the bond between the desired bioactive compound and molecular targets.

RESULTS

Eleven diterpenoids were isolated from low-polarity C. crassifolius root extracts. Among the compounds, chettaphanin II showed the strongest activity (IC50 = 8.58 μM) against A549 cells. Evaluation of cell viability and the cell cycle showed that Chettaphanin II reduced A549 cell proliferation and induced G2/M-phase arrest. Chttaphanin II significantly induced apoptosis in A549 cells, which was related to the level of apoptosis-related proteins. The growth of tumor tissue was significantly inhibited by chettaphanin II in experiments performed on naked mice. The antitumor mechanism of chettaphanin II is that it can obstruct the mTOR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in A549 cells. Molecular docking established that chettaphanin II could bind to the active sites of Bcl-2 and Bax.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the natural diterpenoid chettaphanin II was identified as the major antitumor active component, and its potential for developing anticancer therapies was demonstrated for the first time by antiproliferation evaluation in vitro and in vivo.

Aridanin and oleanane-3- O-β-D-glucoside-2'-acetamide obtained from Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schumach. & Thonn) Taub. (Fabaceae) induces potent apoptotic activity in human prostate cancer cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schumach. and Thonn.) Taub. (Fabaceae) is a tropical plant that is used in Cameroon pharmacopeia for the treatment of many cancers including prostate cancer (PCa), which is a major cause of men's death worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anticancer properties as well as underlying mechanisms of isolates from T. tetraptera on DU145, PC3 and LNCaP cancer cell lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight (8) compounds were purified from T. tetraptera stem bark extract through silica gel column chromatography (CC) and characterized using spectroscopic techniques (1D and 2D NMR), HRESIMS. Cell growth was assessed by a well-characterized MTT assay, while BrdU and clonogenicity assays provided information on the cell proliferation index. Further, the impact of the compounds on cell cycle progression and cell death were performed through Flow cytometry. Cell adhesion, cell migration and chemotaxis along with some proteins of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assayed.

RESULTS

Out of the eight (1-8) isolates from T. tetraptera only oleanane-3-O-β-D-glucoside-2'-acetamide and aridanin showed potent cell growth arrest with an estimated CC50 of 15, 23, 16 and 17, 26, 16 μg/mL on DU145, PC3 and LNCaP cells, respectively. A 15% (DU145) and 25% (LNCaP) increase in apoptotic cells induced by oleanane-3-O-β-D-glucoside-2'-acetamide and aridanin at 10 μg/mL were noticed. Oleanane-3-O-β-D-glucoside-2'-acetamide and aridanin at 2.5 and 10 μg/mL reduced the number of cells in S-phase and raised cells in G2/M phase. At the same concentrations, they decreased the number of invading DU145 cells and increased the adherence of DU145 cells to fibronectin and collagen matrix at tested concentrations, accompanied by an increase in integrin β-1 (10 μg/mL) and integrin β-4 (2.5 μg/mL) expression. Furthermore, a down-regulation of pcdk1, cdk2, Bcl-2, N-Cad, vimentin and cytokeratine 8-18 was noticed while, p19, p27, p53 pAKT, Bax, caspase-3 and E-Cad were up-regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

This study outlines for the first time, the anticancer ability of compounds oleanane-3-O-β-D-glucoside-2'-acetamide (4) and aridanin (6) from Tetrapleura tetraptera and proposes their putative mechanisms of action.

Karanjin, A Promising Bioactive Compound Possessing Anti-cancer Activity against Experimental Model of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

AIMS

The aim of this study is to isolate the Millettia pinnata (Karanj) leaf extract for pure compound with anticancer properties and to study the molecular target of the isolates in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND

In our earlier research Millettia pinnata leaf extract has demonstrated potential anticancer activities. Thus, in pursuit of the bioactive compounds, the most potential active extract from our previous study was purified. Furthermore, the anticancer properties of the isolated compound karanjin was studied and aimed for apoptosis and restraining growth.

METHODS

A novel method was developed through column chromatography for isolation and purification of the compound karanjin from leaf chloroform extract. The purified component was then characterised using FTIR, mass spectrometry, and NMR. An MTT-based cytotoxicity assay was used to analyse cell cytotoxicity, whereas fluorescence staining was used for apoptosis and reactive oxygen species inhibition quantification. Furthermore, the real-time PCR assay was used to determine the molecular mechanism of action in cells causing cytotoxicity induced by karanjin dosing.

RESULTS

The anticancer activity of karanjin in A549 cell line exhibited prominent activity revealing IC50 value of 4.85 μM. Conferring the predicted molecular pathway study, karanjin restrains the proliferation of cancer cells through apoptosis, which is controlled by extrinsic pathway proteins FAS/FADD/Caspases 8/3/9. Downregulation of KRAS and dependent gene expression also stopped cell proliferation.

CONCLUSION

Karanjin has been identified as a compound with potential effect in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Molecular mechanism for apoptosis and inhibition of reactive oxygen species induced through H2O2 were observed, concluding karanjin have medicinal and antioxidant properties.

The cytotoxicity of karanjin toward breast cancer cells is involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Karanjin is a bioactive furanoflavonoid with various pharmacological activities including anticancer activities. However, the effect and the related mechanism of karanjin in breast cancer (BC) have not been revealed. The potential targets of karanjin and BC were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards databases, respectively. The overlapping targets between karanjin and BC were identified using the Venn diagram. DAVID database was used for the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment pathway analysis. Cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined by MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide), EdU (5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine) incorporation, and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick-end labeling) assays, respectively. The protein levels were measured by western blot analysis. We screened out 28 overlapping targets between karanjin and BC. KEGG analysis showed that the targets of karanjin in BC were associated with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. Karanjin inhibited cell viability and impeded the proliferative ability of BC cells. Moreover, karanjin treatment induced apoptosis in BC cells. Additionally, karanjin treatment blocked the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway reversed the antitumor effect of karanjin on BC cells. In conclusion, karanjin exerted antitumor activity in BC cells by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Global transcriptome analysis reveals partial estrogen-like effects of karanjin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Karanjin, an abundantly occurring furanoflavonoid in edible and non-edible legumes, exerts diverse biological effects in vivo, and in vitro. Its potential as an anticancer agent is gaining traction following recent demonstrations of its anti-proliferative, cell cycle inhibitory, and pro-apoptotic effects. However, the genomic correlates of these activities are not known. In the present study we delineated the transcriptomic footprint of 10 μM karanjin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, using next generation sequencing technology (RNA-seq). We show that karanjin-modulated gene-expression repertoire is enriched in several hallmark gene sets, which include early estrogen-response, and G2/M checkpoint genes. Genes modulated by karanjin overlapped with those modulated by 1 nM 17β-estradiol (E2), or 1 μM tamoxifen. The results suggest partial estrogen-like activity of karanjin, thereby presenting a caveat to its anticancer potential. Further investigations into its mechanisms of action are warranted to ascertain the true potential of karanjin in anticancer, or endocrine therapy.

Therapeutic importance and pharmacological activities of karanjin in the medicine for the treatment of Human disorders: A review through scientific data analysis

Backgrounds:

Plant and derived herbal drugs have been used in the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of various forms of human health complications since a very early age. Commercial products prepared from natural herbs have been always valuable for the society in the form of health supplement to medicament. In the ancient time, herbal products were mainly prepared from plants and their derived phytochemical. Plants contain a rich source of pure phytochemical called secondary metabolite and examples are flavonoids, glycosides, tannins and terpenoids etc. Plants and their parts including fruits, flowers, vegetables etc. are the best source of Flavonoid class phytochemicals.

Methods:

Present work summarized the scientific information of karanjin for their health beneficial aspects and pharmacological activities including its analytical aspects. In the present investigation, scientific data of karanjin have been collected from various scientific databases such as Google, Goggle Scholar, Science Direct and PubMed and analyzed to know the health beneficial aspects of karanjin in the medicine. Further pharmacological activity data has been collected and analyzed in the present work to know their biological potential in the medicine. Analytical methods used for the separation, isolation, and identification of karanjin for the standardization of different natural products have been also discussed in the present work.

Results:

Scientific data analysis signified the biological importance of Flavonoid class phytochemicals in the medicine as they are well known for their anti-ischemic, vasodilatory, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer activities. Scientific data analysis revealed the presences of karanjin in numerous medicinal plants such as Fordia cauliflora, Lonchocarpus latifolius, Millettia pinnata, Millettia pubinervis, Pongamia pinnata, and Tephrosia purpurea. Pharmacological activity data revealed the biological potential of karanjin against cancerous disorders, glucose metabolism abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, inflammatory disorders, colitis, psoriasis and brain related disorders. However, analytical data signified the importance of RP-HPLC, TLC, HPTLC, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HSCCC techniques in the medicine for the quantification of karanjin in different samples.

Conclusion:

Presented information about karanjin in this review paper will be beneficial to the scientific peoples of the world to know the health beneficial aspects of karanjin in the medicine.

Preparation and characterization of 2-deacetyl-3-O-sulfo-heparosan and its antitumor effects via the fibroblast growth factor receptor pathway

Heparosan, with a linear chain of disaccharide repeating units of → 4) β-D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) (1 → 4)-α-D-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) (1→, is a potential starting chemical for heparin synthesis. However, the chemoenzymatic synthesis of single-site sulfated heparosan and its antitumor activity have not been studied. In this study, 2-deacetyl-3-O-sulfo-heparosan (DSH) was prepared successively by the N-deacetylation chemical reaction and enzymatic modification of human 3-O-sulfotransferase-1 (3-OST-1). Structural characterization of DSH was shown the success of the sulfation with the sulfation degree of 0.87. High performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) analysis revealed that DSH had only one symmetrical sharp peak with a molecular weight of 9.6334 × 10⁴ Da. Biological function studies showed that DSH could inhibit tumor cell (A549, HepG2 and HCT116) viability and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells. Further in vitro mechanistic studies showed that DSH may induce apoptosis via the JNK signaling pathway, and the upstream signal of this process may be fibroblast growth factor receptors. These results indicated that DSH could be developed as one of a potential chemical for tumor treatment.

Apis mellifera propolis enhances apoptosis and invasion inhibition in head and neck cancer cells

Background

Propolis is a resinous product accumulated from several plant sources that possess a wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer activities. However, the role of honeybee-produced propolis on head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Apis mellifera propolis on apoptosis and invasiveness in HNSCC cell lines.

Methods

Ethyl acetate extract of propolis (EAEP) was prepared from A. mellifera beehives using liquid–liquid extraction. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) was used to determine the flavonoids in EAEP. Isogenic HNSCC cell lines derived from primary (HN30 and HN4) and metastatic site (HN31 and HN12) were used in this study. The cytotoxicity, apoptosis, invasion, and MMP activity of EAEP on HNSCC cells were determined using an MTT assay, flow cytometry, Matrigel invasion assay, and gelatinase zymography, respectively.

Results

We found that EAEP exhibited cytotoxic activity and induced apoptosis in the HNSCC cell lines. Furthermore, EAEP significantly decreased HNSCC cell invasion by reducing MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. Two flavonoids, galangin and apigenin, were identified in EAEP by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. The results suggest that EAEP promotes apoptosis and exerts anti-invasion potential by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in HNSCC cell lines. These inhibitory effects may be mediated by galangin and apigenin.

Karanjin

Karanjin [IUPAC: 3-methoxy-2-phenylfuro-(2,3-h-chrome-4-ol)], a bioactive furanoflavonoid and a potent biomolecule, was first isolated from Pongamia pinnata (L.). The crude extracts from root, leaf and seed having active constituent karanjin is highly valued in both traditional and modern knowledge systems. This review highlights, critically assesses, and presents the probable biosynthetic pathways of karanjin and its isolation methodologies with a view to actualizing its full potential. Karanjin exhibits multiple health benefits and applications, with evident anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, antioxidant, anti-colitis, anti-ulcer, and anti-Alzheimer properties. Consequently, the physiochemical properties and biological effects of karanjin have been detailed and analyzed. The efficacy of karanjin has been attenuated by toxicological studies that have proven karanjin to be non-toxic at physiological conditions as substantiated by in vitro and in vivo studies. In addition, the multiple insect repellent/insecticidal properties of karanjin and its availability as an acaricide/bio-insecticide have been reviewed. This review article underscores and endorses the immense potential for novel drug leads in various medicinal and industrial applications, suggesting a deeper insight into its metabolic fate, bioavailability, and cellular effects that await further investigations.

A facile adenosine triphosphate-responsive nanoplatform for efficacious therapy of esophageal cancer

Current chemotherapeutic agents against esophageal cancer (EC) are suboptimal. To improve treatment efficacy, a nanoplatform based on ATP-responsive drug release was developed for EC therapy. First, the chemotherapeutic agent epirubicin (EPI) was inserted into an ATP aptamer (Ap) to form double-stranded DNA ('DNA duplex'). Subsequently, polyethyleneimine (PEI) was employed to condense the EPI-loaded duplex to construct the final nanoplatform (PEI-Ap-EPI). Following internalization by cancer cells, the EPI-loaded DNA duplex could open and release EPI in an intracellular ATP-rich environment. An in vitro drug-release assay demonstrated that ~50% of EPI was released from PEI-Ap-EPI in an ATP-rich condition. However, only 15% of EPI was released in the presence of a low concentration of ATP. In vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays demonstrated that PEI-Ap-EPI could enhance EPI efficiency against EC cells markedly compared with those in the control group. Therefore, this facile PEI-Ap-EPI nanoplatform may be a promising strategy to improve the efficacy of EPI treatment in EC.

Effects of karanjin on dimethylhydrazine induced colon carcinoma and aberrant crypt foci are facilitated by alteration of the p53/Bcl2/BAX pathway for apoptosis

We investigated the effects of karanjin on dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced colon cancer in rats. Male Wistar rats were injected with DMH followed by dextran sodium sulfate in drinking water for 7 days. Karanjin at doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg was administered orally for 18 weeks. Colon tissues were investigated using TUNEL analysis of apoptosis; histopathological assessment including number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF); immunohistochemical staining for Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA); and antioxidant assay in vivo. We found that treatment with karanjin inhibited formation of ACF in the colon mucosa and reduced colon lesions. Karanjin treatment also increased the antioxidants, catalase, glutathione and superoxide dismutase. Immunostaining showed that karanjin treatment reduced BAX, p53 and PCNA levels and increased Bcl2 expression. The TUNEL assay revealed that karanjin induced apoptosis in the colon mucosa. Our findings suggest that karanjin can ameliorate colon carcinogenesis in rats by regulating BAX, Bcl2 and p53 pathways.

Anticancer Effect of Amygdalin (Vitamin B-17) on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line (HepG2) in the Presence and Absence of Zinc

BACKGROUND

Amygdalin (Vitamin B-17) is a naturally occurring vitamin found in the seeds of the fruits of Prunus Rosacea family including apricot, bitter almond, cherry, and peach.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of amygdalin with and without zinc on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line.

METHODS

MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of amygdalin without zinc, amygdalin + 20μmol zinc, and amygdalin + 800μmol zinc on HepG2 cell lines. The cell cycle distribution assay was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was confirmed by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay. Moreover, the pathway of apoptosis was determined by the percentage of change in the mean levels of P53, Bcl2, Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3.

RESULTS

Amygdalin without zinc showed strong anti-HepG2 activity. Furthermore, HepG2 cell lines treatment with amygdalin + 20μmol zinc and amygdalin + 800μmol zinc showed a highly significant apoptotic effect than the effect of amygdalin without zinc. Amygdalin treatment induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M and increased the levels of P53, Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 significantly, while it decreased the level of anti-apoptotic Bcl2.

CONCLUSION

Amygdalin is a natural anti-cancer agent, which can be used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. It promotes apoptosis via the intrinsic cell death pathway (the mitochondria-initiated pathway) and cell cycle arrest at G/M. The potency of amygdalin in HepG2 treatment increased significantly by the addition of zinc.

Anticancer activity of plant leaves extract collected from a tribal region of India

The goal of this research was to explore the preliminary anticancer properties of five plants namely Calotropis procera, Moringa oleifera, Millettia pinnata, Basela alba and Euphorbia neriifolia available in Jharkhand which is used for the medicinal purpose by local tribes. In the present study, plant leaves from five species were collected, dried and extracted with solvents of increasing polarity, followed by assessment of their cytotoxicity in A549 non-small-cell lung cancer cells. In the antimicrobial assay, the methanol extract of the M. pinnata leaves exhibited comparatively higher zone of inhibition of 0.7 ± 0.20 cm against a Salmonella typhi culture than the other extracts. M. pinnata leaves extract also displayed the maximum percentage inhibition in the DPPH, 83.97 ± 0.01 FRAP, 193.14 ± 3.01 mM assays. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the chloroform (37.45 ± 1.04) and ethyl acetate extracts (34.20 ± 0.81) of M. pinnata against A549 cells was found relatively higher with respect to another extract. In contrast, a study with the L132 normal epithelial lung cell line revealed less toxicity from the chloroform extract (0.33 ± 0.19) compared to the ethyl acetate extract (6.65 ± 0.59). Based on these findings, phytochemical investigation on chloroform and ethyl acetate extract of M. pinnata was performed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis revealing the presence of β-sitosterol, lanceolatin B, karanjin, and stigmasterol. Congruently, a complete phytochemical and cytotoxic investigation of the M. pinnata extract constituents might infer the potency of this extract/s as anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.

Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction of croton crassifolius Geisel root: Chemical composition and anti-proliferative, autophagic, apoptosis-inducing, and related molecular effects on A549 tumour cells

BACKGROUND

The use of plant essential oils as pharmaceuticals is a fast-growing market especially in China. Throughout the 20th century, a rapid increase took place in the use of many essential oil-derived products in the medicinal industry as nutraceuticals, medicinal supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to explore the chemical composition of Croton crassifolius essential oil as well as its potential anti-tumour properties and related anti-proliferative, autophagic, and apoptosis-inducing effects.

METHODS

Supercritical CO₂ fluid extraction technology was used to extract CCEO and the chemical constituents of the essential oil were identified by comparing the retention indices and mass spectra data taken from the NIST library with those calculated based on the C7-C40 n-alkanes standard. The cytotoxic activity and anti-proliferative effects of CCEO were evaluated against five cancer cell lines and one normal human cell line via CCK-8 assays. In addition, flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle arrest. The efficacy of CCEO treatments in controlling cancer cell proliferation was assessed by cell cycle analysis, clonal formation assays, RT-qPCR, and western blot analysis. Autophagic and apoptosis-inducing effects of oils and the associated molecular mechanisms were assessed by flow cytometry, cell staining, reactive oxygen species assays, RT-qPCR, and western blot analysis.

CONCLUSION

Forty compounds representing 92.90% of the total oil were identified in CCEO. The results showed that CCEO exerted a measurable selectivity for cancer cell lines, especially for A549 with the lowest IC₅₀ value of 25.00 ± 1.62 μg/mL. Assessment of the anti-proliferative effects of CCEO on A549 cells showed that the oil inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Investigation of the molecular mechanisms of cell cycle regulation confirmed that the oil arrested A549 cells in G2/M phase by decreasing the expression of cyclin B1-CDK1 and cyclin A-CDK1 and increasing the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI) P21 at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Autophagy staining assays and western blot analysis revealed that CCEO promoted the formation of autophagic vacuoles in A549 cells and increased the expression of autophagy-related proteins beclin-1 and LC3-II in a dose-dependent manner. A series of apoptosis analyses indicated that CCEO induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway. This study revealed that CCEO is a promising candidate for development into an anti-tumour drug of the future.

Natural Products and Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Review Highlighting Mechanisms of Action

Recent findings have shown great potential of alternative interventions such as immunotherapy and natural products for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This study aims to review the anti-AML effect of various natural compounds. Natural compounds were classified into five groups: alkaloids, carotenoids, nitrogen-containing compounds, organosulfur compounds or phenolics based on each compound’s chemical properties. Fifty-eight studies were collected and reviewed in this article. Phenolics are the most abundant group to have an apoptotic effect over AML cells, while other groups have also shown significant apoptotic effects. Some compounds induced apoptosis by regulating unique mechanism like human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) or laminin receptor (67LR), while others modified caspases, poly (adp-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and p53. Further study is required to identify side-effects of potent compounds and the synergistic effects of combination of two or more natural compounds or existing conventional anti-AML drugs to treat this dreadful disease.

Primmorph extracts and mesohyls of marine sponges inhibit proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Cancer recurrence and severe side effects of currently being used chemotherapeutic agents reduce their clinical efficacy. Thus, there is a constant need to develop alternative anticancer drugs. Sustainable supply is an important challenge facing marine-based drug discovery. Primmorph, a 3D cell culture system, could provide a sustainable source to produce metabolites for anticancer drugs from marine sponges. In the present work, the anticancer activity of primmorph extracts and mesohyls of Negombata magnifica, Hemimycle arabica, Crella spinulata, and Stylissa carteri sponges was evaluated. Antiproliferative activity was studied in terms of cytotoxicity, colony formation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Migration was assessed by migration assay and matrix metalloproteinase activity. The expression of proliferation and migration-related genes was analyzed using real time PCR. Migration and proliferation activities of HepG2 cells were inhibited by treatment with primmorph extracts and mesohyls of N. magnifica, H. arabica, and C. spinulata. The mesohyl of S. carteri did not show any anticancer activity although the primmorph extract led to cell cycle arrest. Among the selected sponge species, the primmorph extract of C. spinulata was the most promising anticancer agent regarding antiproliferative and antimigratory activities. In addition, primmorph extracts have the advantage of working under well-defined and controlled conditions, which allows the easy application as a bioreactor.

Toxicity of imidazoles ionic liquid [C16mim]Cl to Hela cells

Our study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C₁₆min]Cl) on the human cervical carcinoma (Hela) cells. We evaluated toxicity, cell viability, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and apoptosis-related gene expression in Hela cells following exposure to [C₁₆min]Cl. The results indicated that [C₁₆min]Cl inhibited the growth of Hela cells, decreased cell viability, induced DNA damage and apoptosis, inhibited superoxide dismutase, decreased glutathione content, as well as increased the cellular malondialdehyde level of Hela cells. Moreover, [C₁₆min]Cl induced changes in the transcription of p53, Bax and Bcl-2, suggesting that the p53 and Bcl-2 family might have been involved in the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by [C₁₆min]Cl in Hela cells. Taken together, these results revealed that [C₁₆min]Cl imparts oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and induces apoptosis in Hela cells; hence, it is not a green solvent.

Toxicity of imidazoles ionic liquid [C16mim]Cl to HepG2 cells

Ionic liquids have garnered increasing attention due to their capacity for low vapor pressure, lack of flammability, designability, good stability, and as a asubstitute for conventional organic solvents. However, their toxicity to various organisms has caused growing concern in recent years. Our study aims to evaluate the toxicity of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C₁₆min]Cl) to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells, including cell viability, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, cell cycle, and apoptosis-related gene expression. Our results with HepG2 cells suggested that [C₁₆min]Cl inhibited cellular growth, decreased cell viability, induced DNA damage and apoptosis, inhibited superoxide dismutase, decreased glutathione content, increased cellular malondialdehyde levels as well as altering the cell cycle. Moreover, the induction of [C₁₆min]Cl altered the transcription of p53, Bax and Bcl-2, which are critical for controlling cell cycles progression and death, which suggests its involvement with cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by [C₁₆min]Cl in HepG2 cells. Taken together, these results revealed that [C₁₆min]Cl exerted genotoxicity, oxidative stress and induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells; hence, it is not a healthy solvent.

Effect of Phyllanthus amarus Extract on 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Perturbations in Ribonucleotide and Deoxyribonucleotide Pools in HepG2 Cell Line

The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor activities of Phyllanthus amarus (PHA) and its potential of herb–drug interactions with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Cell viability, ribonucleotides (RNs) and deoxyribonucleotides (dRNs) levels, cell cycle distribution, and expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) and ribonucleotide reductase (RR) proteins were measured with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) method, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis, respectively. Our standardized PHA extract showed toxicity to HepG2 cells at high concentrations after 72 h exposure and induced G2/M cell cycle arrest. Combined use of 5-FU with PHA resulted in significant decreases in ATP, CTP, GTP, UTP and dTTP levels, while AMP, CMP, GMP and dUMP levels increased significantly compared with use of 5-FU alone. Further, PHA could increase the role of cell cycle arrest at S phase induced by 5-FU. Although PHA alone had no direct impact on TS and RR, PHA could change the levels of RNs and dRNs when combined with 5-FU. This may be due to cell cycle arrest or regulation of key enzyme steps in intracellular RNs and dRNs metabolism.