Antitumor activity of the procyanidins from Pinus koraiensis bark on mice bearing U14 cervical cancer

Pinus koraiensis Essential Oil Attenuates the Pathogenicity of Superbacteria by Suppressing Virulence Gene Expression

In the quest to combat infections attributable to antibiotic-resistant superbacteria, an essential oil derived from the needles of Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc. (PKEO) has emerged as a promising solution. In this study, we demonstrate that PKEO can be used to inhibit the growth, glucose metabolite acidogenicity, and biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Quantitative PCR analysis provided direct evidence that PKEO reduces the mRNA expression of the accessory gene regulator A (agrA) and staphylococcal accessory regulator A (sarA), thereby indicating its inhibitory effect on pathogenic regulatory genes. Chromatographic analyses of PKEO identified terpene hydrocarbons as prominent essential oil constituents. These compounds, notably α-pinene, limonene, and β-caryophyllene, have been established to have antimicrobial properties. Our findings indicate that an oil derived from P. koraiensis can effectively combat antibiotic-resistant strains by disrupting the pathogenicity regulatory system, thereby establishing PKEO as a promising candidate for the treatment of MRSA infections.

Secondary Metabolites from the Fresh Leaves of Pinus yunnanensis Franch

Fifteen metabolites, including two flavonols (1-2), three lignans (3-5), and ten diterpenoids (6-15), were isolated from the leaves of Pinus yunnanensis. Among them, flavanonol (1) were identified as undescribed flavonol derivative with natural rarely B-ring fission lactone. Massive spectroscopic methods, the DP4+ probabilities and CD/ECD calculations were applied to establish the structure of component 1. Among these compounds, taxifolin (2) showed potent cytotoxicity, having IC₅₀ values from 21.33 to 45.48 μg/mL, it also showed broad antibacterial activity against human pathogens with MIC values from 32 to 64 μg/mL.

Investigation of Active Anti-Inflammatory Constituents of Essential Oil from Pinus koraiensis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Wood in LPS-Stimulated RBL-2H3 Cells

In a previous study, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil extracted from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis, Sieb. et Zucc.) wood. This study aims to investigate the active anti-inflammatory constituents of P. koraiensis oil. The essential oil was extracted from P. koraiensis wood by hydrodistillation and was divided into six fractions (A-F) through fractional distillation. Then, the anti-inflammatory activities of the fractions (A-F) were determined. Fractions A and F markedly downregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. The main constituents of the active anti-inflammatory A and F fractions were (+)-α-pinene, (-)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, 3-carene, (+)-limonene, and longifolene. These six single compounds decreased the expression of inflammatory-related genes (i.e., IL-4 and IL-13) as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in LPS-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. (+)-α-Pinene, (-)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, and longifolene exhibited the strongest effects; these effects were comparable to those of the positive control (i.e., dexamethasone). The findings indicate that the interactions between these components exhibit potential for the management and/or treatment of inflammatory conditions as well as base structures for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

Benefits of procyanidins on gut microbiota in Bama minipigs and implications in replacing antibiotics

Several studies have reported the effect of absorption of procyanidins and their contribution to the small intestine. However, differences between dietary interventions of procyanidins and interventions via antibiotic feeding in pigs are rarely reported. Following 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq sequencing, we observed that both procyanidin administration for 2 months (procyanidin-1 group) and continuous antibiotic feeding for 1 month followed by procyanidin for 1 month (procyanidin-2 group) increased the number of operational taxonomic units, as well as the Chao 1 and ACE indices, compared to those in pigs undergoing antibiotic administration for 2 months (antibiotic group). The genera Fibrobacter and Spirochaete were more abundant in the antibiotic group than in the procyanidin-1 and procyanidin-2 groups. Principal component analysis revealed clear separations among the three groups. Additionally, using the online Molecular Ecological Network Analyses pipeline, three co-occurrence networks were constructed; Lactobacillus was in a co-occurrence relationship with Trichococcus and Desulfovibrio and a co-exclusion relationship with Bacillus and Spharerochaeta. Furthermore, metabolic function analysis by phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states demonstrated modulation of pathways involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, energy, and nucleotides. These data suggest that procyanidin influences the gut microbiota and the intestinal metabolic function to produce beneficial effects on metabolic homeostasis.

Effects of anthocyanins on the prevention and treatment of cancer

Anthocyanins are a class of water-soluble flavonoids, which show a range of pharmacological effects, such as prevention of cardiovascular disease, obesity control and antitumour activity. Their potential antitumour effects are reported to be based on a wide variety of biological activities including antioxidant; anti-inflammation; anti-mutagenesis; induction of differentiation; inhibiting proliferation by modulating signal transduction pathways, inducing cell cycle arrest and stimulating apoptosis or autophagy of cancer cells; anti-invasion; anti-metastasis; reversing drug resistance of cancer cells and increasing their sensitivity to chemotherapy. In this review, the latest progress on the anticancer activities of anthocyanins and the underlying molecular mechanisms is summarized using data from basic research in vitro and in vivo, from clinical trials and taking into account theory and practice.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc.

Antitumor activity of tanshinone and its nanoparticles on U14 cervical carcinoma-bearing mice

In this study, tanshinone was extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza. To improve the utilization and the dissolution of the drug, the tanshinone extractions were prepared at a pharmaceutical nanoscale and in the nanometer range of 100–200 nm. Then, the rate of tumor inhibition and the activity of antioxidant system and the thymus/spleen indices were investigated to find the antitumor effect of nanoparticles of tanshinone in cervical carcinoma-bearing mice. Our data suggest that tanshinone inhibits cervical tumor growth and the rates of tumor inhibition of all drug groups were more than 45%. The highest rate was 70.88% in the high dose of nanoscale tanshinone group. The activities of superoxide dismutase were higher in drug groups than in the model control group, and the concentrations of malondialdehyde were significantly lower. These findings suggested that tanshinone enhance the superoxide dismutase activity of the mice and decrease the malondialdehyde content. It may be one of the mechanisms of antitumor effect of tanshinone. The thymus index and spleen index were higher than normal control or model control. These data suggested that tanshinone also enhanced the immune system of mice.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Pinus koraiensis Cone Bark Extracts Prepared by Micro-Wave Assisted Extraction

In this study, we compared the anti-inflammatory activity of Pinus koraiensis cone bark extracts prepared by conventional extraction and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Water extracts and 50% ethanol extracts prepared using MAE were applied to RAW 264.7 cell at 5, 10, 25, and 50 μg/mL of concentrations, and tested for cytoxicity. The group treated with 50 μg/mL of 50% ethanol extracts showed toxicity. In order to investigate the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells, extracts of water and ethanol were treated with 5, 10, and 25 μg/mL concentrations. The inhibitory activity of water and 50% ethanol extracts groups were determined as 40% and 60% at 25 μg/mL concentration, respectively. We found concentration dependent decreases on inducible NO synthase. The inhibitory effect against forming inflammatory cytokines, prostaglandin E₂, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β, was also superior in the 25 μg/mL treated group than the control group. According to these results, the water extracts and 50% ethanol extracts both inhibited inflammatory mediators by reducing the inflammatory response. Therefore, The MAE extracts of P. koraiensis cone bark can be developed as a functional ingredient with anti-inflammatory activity.

Composition and Bioactivity of Lipophilic Metabolites from Needles and Twigs of Korean and Siberian Pines (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc. and Pinus sibirica Du Tour)

Lipophilic extractive metabolites in different parts of the shoot system (needles and defoliated twigs) of Korean pine, Pinus koraiensis, and Siberian pine, Pinus sibirica, were studied by GC/MS. Korean pine needles comprised mainly bornyl p-coumarate, heterocyclic 15-O-functionalized labdane type acids (lambertianic acid), 10-nonacosanol, sterols and their esters. While Siberian pine needles contained less bornyl p-coumarate, lambertianic acid, sterols and their esters, but were richer in other 15-O-functionalized labdane type acids. The major components of the twig extract of P. koraiensis were lambertianic acid, abietane and isopimarane type acids, cembrane type alcohols, 8-O-functionalized labdanoids, sterols, sterol esters, and acylglycerols. The same extract of P. sibirica differed in larger amounts of other 15-O-functionalized labdane type acids and pinolenic acid glycerides, but in less quantities of cembranoids and 8-O-functionalized labdanoids. The labdane type pinusolic acid was detected for the first time in Korean pine. P. koraiensis was found to be unique in the genus for an ability to synthesize phyllocladane diterpenoids. The content of bound Δ⁵ -unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted fatty acids in the twig extracts of the both pines was similar or superior to that in their seed oil. Among the pines' metabolites tested isocembrol was strongest in inhibition of both α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ 2.9 μg/ml) and NO production in activated macrophages (IC₅₀ 3.6 μg/ml).

Isolation and characterization of antioxidant polysaccharides (PKCP-D70-2-a and PKCP-D70-2-b) from the Pinus koraiensis pinecone

Water-soluble polysaccharides from Pinus koraiensis pinecone was fractionated using DEAE cellulose-52 and Sephadex G-100 successively to obtain two eluents named PKCP-D₇₀-2-a and PKCP-D₇₀-2-b.

Selectivity of Pinus sylvestris extract and essential oil to estrogen-insensitive breast cancer cells Pinus sylvestris against cancer cells

Background:

So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries.

Objective:

Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia.

Materials and Methods:

The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines.

Results:

This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC₅₀ 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC₅₀ 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC₅₀ 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively).

Conclusion:

The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment.

Optimization of Purification, Identification and Evaluation of the in Vitro Antitumor Activity of Polyphenols from Pinus Koraiensis Pinecones

In this study, an efficient purification method for the polyphenols of Pinus koraiensis pinecone (PPP) has been developed. AB-8 resin was verified to offer good adsorption and desorption ratio for PPP. Response surface methodology (RSM) indicated that the optimized purification parameters for PPP were 1.70 mg GAE/mL phenolic sample concentration, 22.00 mL sample volume, and 63.00% ethanol concentration. Under these conditions, the experimental purity of PPP was 27.93 ± 0.14% (n = 3), which matched well with the predicted purity of 28.17%. Next, the antiproliferative effects of PPP on seven cancer cell lines, including A375 (human skin melanoma cancer cell line), A549 (human lung cancer cell line), SH-SY5Y (human neuroblastoma cell line), LOVO (human colon cancer stem cell line), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell line), HeLa (human cervical cancer line), and HT29 (human colon cancer line), were examined by MTT assays. The results indicated that PPP had the highest capacity for inhibiting LOVO cells growth with an EC50 value of 0.317 ± 0.0476 mg/mL. Finally, Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was used to tentatively identify twenty-four peaks in the purified PPP, of which five representative peaks were identified as catechin, methyl quercetin, o-vanillin, luteolin and coronaric acid. Our results demonstrate that Pinus koraiensis pinecone is a readily available source of polyphenols, and the purified PPP could be a promising natural antitumor agent for applications in functional foods.

Pine bark extracts: nutraceutical, pharmacological, and toxicological evaluation

Proanthocyanidins are among the most abundant constituents in pine bark extracts (PBEs). This review summarizes medical research on PBEs from Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata, Pinus massoniana, and other less well characterized species. The precise mechanisms of the important physiologic functions of PBE components remain to be elucidated, but there is evidently great potential for the identification and development of novel antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, neuroprotective, and anticancer medicines. Although toxicological data for PBEs are limited, no serious adverse effects have been reported. PBEs, therefore, may have potential as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and should be safe for use as food ingredients.

Antibacterial activity of Pinus elliottii and its major compound, dehydroabietic acid, against multidrug-resistant strains

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged from the widespread use of antibiotics worldwide and have prompted the search for new sources of antimicrobial substances. Pinus spp. contain several bioactive compounds consisting mainly of terpenes, terpenoids and some other aromatic and aliphatic constituents. These compounds exert important biological effects, and pine oils have found wide application in the industry. In the present study, we have evaluated the potential activity of the resin-oil of Pinus elliottii and its major compound dehydroabietic acid (DA) against multiresistant bacteria by MIC, minimum bactericidal concentration and time-kill assays. The MIC of the resin-oil of P. elliottii varied between 25 and 100 µg ml−1. As for DA, the MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration varied between 6.25 and 50 and between 6.25 and 100 µg ml−1, respectively. The time-kill assay conducted with DA at 6.25 µg ml−1 evidenced bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis (American Type Culture Collection 14990) within 24 h. On the basis of these results, the resin-oil of P. elliottii and its major compound DA play an important part in the search for novel sources of agents that can act against multiresistant bacteria.

Chemical characterization of a procyanidin-rich extract from sorghum bran and its effect on oxidative stress and tumor inhibition in vivo

The present study was to characterize a procyanidin-rich extract (PARE) from sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) bran and assess its biological activities. The procyanidin oligomers were separated and identified by normal-phase HPLC equipped with fluorescence (FLD) and mass spectrometry (MS) detectors. In addition, the effects of PARE on oxidative stress in mice induced by D-galactose as well as tumor inhibition in C57BL/6J mice bearing Lewis lung cancer were investigated. Administration of D-galactose significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). This was accompanied by a significant (p < 0.05) increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in both liver and serum. Administration of PARE (150 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) reversed the d-galactose-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, PARE administration inhibited tumor growth and metastasis formation by suppressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. The results suggested that PARE had antioxidant and antitumor activities.

Inhibition of tumor growth by recombinant adenovirus containing human lactoferrin through inducing tumor cell apoptosis in mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer

Human lactoferrin (hLTF), an 80-kDa iron-binding glycoprotein, has antitumor activity. In this study, a recombinant adenovirus containing the human lactoferrin cDNA (ad-rhLTF) was constructed and its effect on tumor growth was investigated in mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer. Ad-rhLTF was injected seven times within 14 days into the tumor site at two concentrations (10(8) and 5 × 10(8) pfu/mL) in mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer. Injected ad-rhLTF had considerable cytotoxicity on mice breast cancer, and significantly reducing the weight of tumor produced and increasing the tumor inhibition rate up to 52.64%. The presence of apoptotic cells was confirmed using TUNEL staining and flow cytometry assays. At the same time, RTPCR and Western blot analyses demonstrated that ad-rhLTF also decreased expression of Bcl-2 and increased Bax and caspase 3 expressions. Therefore, we conclude that ad-rhLTF inhibits tumor growth by inducing tumor cell apoptosis in mice with breast cancer by triggering the mitochondrial-dependent pathway and activation of caspase 3. The results indicate that ad-rhLTF might be a promising drug for breast cancer gene therapy.