In vitro selective cytotoxicity of the dietary chalcone cardamonin (CD) on melanoma compared to healthy cells is mediated by apoptosis

Synthesis of bis-Chalcones Based on Green Chemistry Strategies and Their Cytotoxicity Toward Human MeWo and A375 Melanoma Cell Lines

Chalcone is an aromatic ketone that forms the central core of many important biological compounds. Chalcone derivatives show various biological activities, especially anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities, and also inhibit melanoma cell growth. In this study, we synthesized chalcone compounds with bis-chalcone's chemical structure under microwave (MW) and microwave-ultrasound (MW-US) conditions and compared them to chalcones produced using the classical synthesis method. All bis-chalcones were synthesized with terephthalaldehyde and an appropriate aromatic ketone as substrates in Claisen-Schmidt condensation. All the obtained compounds were tested regarding their roles as potential anticancer agents. The cytotoxic effect of the bis-chalcones against human MeWo and A375 melanoma cell lines was investigated through colorimetric MTT and SRB assays. The data were analyzed statistically. In the case of the synthesis of bis-chalcones, it was determined that the use of green conditions supported by the MW or MW-US factors led to an increase in the yield of the final products and a reduction in the reaction time compared to the classic method. The biological results showed the high cytotoxic effect of bis-chalcones. The present results show the compounds' high antiproliferative and cytotoxic potential, especially for the two selected bis-chalcone derivatives (3b and 3c), in particular, at concentrations of 50 μM-200 μM at 24, 48 h, and 72 h of incubation. The use of MW and US for the synthesis of bis-chalcones significantly improved the process compared to the classical method. The derivatives containing two hydroxy and two methoxy groups were the most effective against the tested cancer cells.

A Combination of Cardamonin and Doxorubicin Selectively Affect Cell Viability of Melanoma Cells: An In Vitro Study

Treatment of the most aggressive and deadliest form of skin cancer, the malignant melanoma, still has room for improvement. Its invasive nature and ability to rapidly metastasize and to develop resistance to standard treatment often result in a poor prognosis. While the highly effective standard chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in a variety of cancers, systemic side effects still limit therapy. Especially, DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains a big challenge. In contrast, the natural chalcone cardamonin (CD) has been shown to selectively kill tumor cells. Besides its anti-tumor activity, CD exhibits anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of the combinational treatment of DOX with CD on A375 melanoma cells compared to normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and rat cardiac myoblasts (H9C2 cells). DOX-induced cytotoxicity was unselective and affected all cell types, especially H9C2 cardiac myoblasts, demonstrating its cardiotoxic effect. In contrast, CD only decreased the cell viability of A375 melanoma cells, without harming normal (healthy) cells. The addition of CD selectively protected human dermal fibroblasts and rat cardiac myoblasts from DOX-induced cytotoxicity. While no apoptosis was induced by the combinational treatment in normal (healthy) cells, an apoptosis-mediated cytotoxicity was demonstrated in A375 melanoma cells. CD exhibited thiol reactivity as it was able to directly interact with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in a cell-free assay and to induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in all cell types. And that took place in a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-independent manner. DOX decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in all cell types, whereas CD selectively decreased mitochondrial respiration, affecting basal respiration, maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity and ATP production in A375 melanoma cells, but not in healthy cardiac myoblasts. The DOX-induced cytotoxicity seen in melanoma cells was ROS-independent, whereas the cytotoxic effect of CD was associated with CD-induced ROS-formation and/or its thiol reactivity. This study highlights the beneficial properties of the addition of CD to DOX treatment, which might protect patients from DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Future experiments with other tumor cell lines or a mouse model should substantiate this hypothesis.

Anticancer Potential of Natural Chalcones: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence

There is no doubt that significant progress has been made in tumor therapy in the past decades. However, the discovery of new molecules with potential antitumor properties still remains one of the most significant challenges in the field of anticancer therapy. Nature, especially plants, is a rich source of phytochemicals with pleiotropic biological activities. Among a plethora of phytochemicals, chalcones, the bioprecursors of flavonoid and isoflavonoids synthesis in higher plants, have attracted attention due to the broad spectrum of biological activities with potential clinical applications. Regarding the antiproliferative and anticancer effects of chalcones, multiple mechanisms of action including cell cycle arrest, induction of different forms of cell death and modulation of various signaling pathways have been documented. This review summarizes current knowledge related to mechanisms of antiproliferative and anticancer effects of natural chalcones in different types of malignancies including breast cancers, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, lung cancers, renal and bladder cancers, and melanoma.

The natural chalcone cardamonin selectively induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial malignant tumor in childhood. Approximately 60% of all patients are classified as high-risk and require intensive treatment including non-selective chemotherapeutic agents leading to severe side effects. Recently, phytochemicals like the natural chalcone cardamonin (CD) have gained attention in cancer research. For the first time, we investigated the selective anti-cancer effects of CD in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells compared to healthy (normal) fibroblasts (NHDF). Our study revealed selective and dose-dependent cytotoxicity of CD in SH-SY5Y. The natural chalcone CD specifically altered the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), as an early marker of apoptosis, in human neuroblastoma cells. Caspase activity was also selectively induced and the amount of cleaved caspase substrates such as PARP was thus increased in human neuroblastoma cells. CD-mediated apoptotic cell death was rescued by pan caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. The natural chalcone CD selectively induced apoptosis, the programmed cell death, in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells whereas NHDF being a model for normal (healthy) cells were unaffected. Our data indicates a clinical potential of CD in the more selective and less harmful treatment of neuroblastoma.

A Survey of Naturally Occurring Molecules as New Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Activators with Selective Anticancer Activity

The last century has witnessed the establishment of neoplastic disease as the second cause of death in the world. Nonetheless, the road toward desirable success rates of cancer treatments is still long and paved with uncertainty. This work aims to select natural products that act via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a known vulnerability of malignant cells, and display selective toxicity against cancer cell lines. Among an in-house chemical library, nontoxic molecules towards noncancer cells were assessed for toxicity towards cancer cells, namely the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS and the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Active molecules towards at least one of these cell lines were studied in a battery of ensuing assays to clarify the involvement of ER stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) in the cytotoxic effect. Several natural products are selectively cytotoxic against malignant cells, and the effect often relies on ER stress induction. Berberine was the most promising molecule, being active against both cell models by disrupting Ca²⁺ homeostasis, inducing UPR target gene expression and ER-resident caspase-4 activation. Our results indicate that berberine and emodin are potential leads for the development of more potent ER stressors to be used as selective anticancer agents.

Chalcone-Acridine Hybrid Suppresses Melanoma Cell Progression via G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest, DNA Damage, Apoptosis, and Modulation of MAP Kinases Activity

This study was focused on investigating the antiproliferative effects of chalcone hybrids in melanoma cancer cells. Among seven chalcone hybrids, the chalcone-acridine hybrid 1C was the most potent and was selected for further antiproliferative mechanism studies. This in vitro study revealed the potent antiproliferative effect of 1C via cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase was associated with modulation of expression or phosphorylation of specific cell cycle-associated proteins (cyclin B1, p21, and ChK1), tubulins, as well as with the activation of the DNA damage response pathway. Chalcone 1C also induced apoptosis accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction evidenced by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, increase in Bax/Bcl-xL ratio and cytochrome c release followed by caspase 3/7 activation. In addition, increased phosphorylation of MAP kinases (Erk1/2, p38 and JNK) was observed in chalcone 1C-treated melanoma cells. The strong antiproliferative activities of this chalcone-acridine hybrid suggest that it may be useful as an antimelanoma agent in humans.

Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) fruit extracts exhibit apoptotic activity against lung cancer cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The dried fruits of Amomum subulatum Roxb. (A. subulatum) are widely used as a spice. It is a part of official ayurvedic formulations used in folklore medicine to treat cancer.A. subulatum has been used in ayurvedic formulations to treat various lung conditions such as cough, lung congestion, pulmonary tuberculosis. The present traditional knowledge highlights the effectiveness of A. subulatum in treating cancer and its lung-specific efficacy.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic potential of A. subulatum on the phenomenal and mechanistic level of lung cancer cells and identify the presence of A. subulatum actives.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The bioactivity of the extracts was tested using MTT assay, apoptotic assay, cell cycle analysis, superoxide production assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, and western blot analysis. Firstly, five different extracts were prepared using sequential extraction, and then screening of cell lines was performed using MTT assay.

RESULTS

Lung cancer cells were selected as the most sensitive target, and dichloromethane extract (DE) was the most active extract. Annexin assay confirmed the mode of cell death as apoptosis. SubG₁ peak found in cell cycle analysis substantiated this finding. ROS generation and superoxide showed association with apoptotic death. The upregulation and overexpression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1) showed the failure of DNA repairing machinery contributes to apoptosis. LC-MS findings show the presence of cytotoxic actives cardamonin and alpinetin.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, this study shows the apoptosis-inducing potential of A. subulatum fruit extracts and confirms DNA damage as one of the causes of cell death. Further explorations using bio-fractionation and in-vivo studies are required to determine the most active constituents in A. subulatum.

Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antiacetylcholinesterase, and Cytotoxic Activities of Rumex crispus L

Rumex crispus L. (R. crispus) is regarded as an aromatic plant. It was used for its excellent biological properties in traditional medicine. The aerial part was extracted successively by maceration with three solvents increasing polarity (cyclohexane (CYH), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH)) to evaluate their chemical compositions and biological activities. The extracts were rich in phenolic compounds (13.0 to 249.8 mg GAE/g of dry weight (dw)). The MeOH extract has presented remarkable IC₅₀ = 6.2 μg/mL for anti-DPPH and 31.6 μg/mL for anti-AChE. However, the DCM extract has the highest cytotoxic activity against the two cancer cells (HCT-116 and MCF-7) (69.2 and 77.2% inhibition at 50 μg/mL, respectively). Interestingly, GC-MS analysis enabled to identify three new compounds in R. crispus extracts, such as L-(−)-arabitol (5), D-(−) fructopyranose (7) detected only in MeOH extract, and 2, 5-dihydroxyacetophenone (3) detected in all extracts. For HPLC chromatograms, cardamonin (8), 5-hydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (17), and 3′-hydroxy-b-naphthoflavone (18) showed the highest concentrations of 74.0, 55.5, and 50.4 mg/g of dw, respectively, among others who are identified. Some phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC in more than one organic extract, such as 4′, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (13), 4′, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (14), 5-hydroxy-3′-methoxyflavone (17), and 3′-hydroxy-b-naphthoflavone (18), were found for the first time in the R. crispus extracts. Our results showed that the biological activities of this plant might be linked to their phenolic compounds and that the polar extracts could be considered as new natural supplements to be used in food and pharmaceuticals.

Carbon monoxide exposure activates ULK1 via AMPK phosphorylation in murine embryonic fibroblasts

Carbon monoxide (CO) is endogenously produced upon degradation of heme by heme oxygenases (HOs) and is suggested to act as a gaseous signaling molecule. The expression of HO-1 is triggered by the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway which responds to exogenous stress signals and dietary constituents such as flavonoids and glucosinolates or reactive metabolic intermediates like 4-hydroxynonenal. Endogenous CO affects energy metabolism, regulates the utilization of glucose and addresses CYP450 enzymes. Using the CO releasing molecule-401 (CORM-401), we studied the effect of endogenous CO on ATP synthesis, AMP-signaling and activation of the AMPK pathway in cell culture. Upon exposure of cells to CORM-401, the mitochondrial ATP production rate was significantly decreased (P=0.007) to about 50%, while glycolytic ATP synthesis was unchanged (P=0.489). Total ATP levels were less affected as determined by mass spectrometry. Instead, levels of ADP and AMP were elevated following CORM-401 exposure by about two- (P=0.022) and four-fold (P=0.012) compared to control, respectively. Increased concentrations of AMP activate AMPK which was demonstrated by a 10 to 15-fold increased phosphorylation of Thr172 of the α-subunit of AMPK (P=0.025). A downstream target of AMPK is the kinase ULK1 which triggers autophagic and mitophagic processes. Activation of ULK1 after CO exposure was proven by a 3 to 5-fold elevated phosphorylation of ULK1 at Ser555 (P=0.004). The present data suggest that production of endogenous CO leads to increasing amounts of AMP which mediates AMPK-dependent downstream effects and likely triggers autophagic processes. Since dietary constituents and their metabolites induce the expression of the CO producing enzyme HO-1, CO signaling may also be involved in the cellular response to nutritional factors.

22β-hydroxytingenone induces apoptosis and suppresses invasiveness of melanoma cells by inhibiting MMP-9 activity and MAPK signaling

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

22β-hydroxytingenone (22-HTG) is a quinonemethide triterpene isolated from Salacia impressifolia (Miers) A. C. Smith (family Celastraceae), which has been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including dengue, renal infections, rheumatism and cancer. However, the anticancer effects of 22-HTG and the underlying molecular mechanisms in melanoma cells have not yet been elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study investigated apoptosis induction and antimetastatic potencial of 22-HTG in SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, the in vitro cytotoxic activity of 22-HTG in cultured cancer cells was evaluated. Then, cell viability was determined using the trypan blue assay in melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28), which was followed by cell cycle, annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assays (Annexin/PI), as well as assays to evaluate mitochondrial membrane potential, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) using flow cytometry. Fluorescence microscopy using acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/BE) staining was also performed. RT-qPCR was carried out to evaluate the expression of BRAF, NRAS, and KRAS genes. The anti-invasiveness potential of 22-HTG was evaluated in a three-dimensional (3D) model of reconstructed human skin.

RESULTS

22-HTG reduced viability of SK-MEL-28 cells and caused morphological changes, as cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. Furthermore, 22-HTG caused apoptosis, which was demonstrated by increased staining with AO/BE and Annexin/PI. The apoptosis may have been caused by mitochondrial instability without the involvement of ROS production. The expression of BRAF, NRAS, and KRAS, which are important biomarkers in melanoma development, was reduced by the 22-HTG treatment. In the reconstructed skin model, 22-HTG was able to decrease the invasion capacity of melanoma cells in the dermis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that 22-HTG has anti-tumorigenic properties against melanoma cells through the induction of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and inhibition of invasiveness potential, as observed in the 3D model. As such, the results provide new insights for future work on the utilization of 22-HTG in malignant melanoma treatment.

An overview of the potential anticancer properties of cardamonin

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality, contributing to 9.6 million deaths globally in 2018 alone. Although several cancer treatments exist, they are often associated with severe side effects and high toxicities, leaving room for significant advancements to be made in the field. In recent years, several phytochemicals from plants and natural bioresources have been extracted and tested against various human malignancies using both in vitro and in vivo preclinical model systems. Cardamonin, a chalcone extracted from the Alpinia species, is an example of a natural therapeutic agent that has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects against human cancer cell lines, including breast, lung, colon, and gastric, in both in vitro culture systems as well as xenograft mouse models. Earlier, cardamonin was used as a natural medicine against stomach related issues, diarrhea, insulin resistance, nephroprotection against cisplatin treatment, vasorelaxant and antinociceptive. The compound is well-known to inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion, and induce apoptosis, through the involvement of Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt pathways. The good biosafety and pharmacokinetic profiling of cardamonin satisfy it as an attractive molecule for the development of an anticancer agent. The present review has summarized the chemo-preventive ability of cardamonin as an anticancer agent against numerous human malignancies.

Emerging roles of cardamonin, a multitargeted nutraceutical in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases

Although chronic diseases are often caused by the perturbations in multiple cellular components involved in different biological processes, most of the approved therapeutics target a single gene/protein/pathway which makes them not as efficient as they are anticipated and are also known to cause severe side effects. Therefore, the pursuit of safe, efficacious, and multitargeted agents is imperative for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Cardamonin is one such agent that has been known to modulate different signaling molecules such as transcription factors (NF-κB and STAT3), cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) enzymes (COX-2, MMP-9 and ALDH1), other proteins and genes (Bcl-2, XIAP and cyclin D1), involved in the development and progression of chronic diseases. Multiple lines of evidence emerging from pre-clinical studies advocate the promising potential of this agent against various pathological conditions like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurological disorders, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., despite its poor bioavailability. Therefore, further studies are paramount in establishing its efficacy in clinical settings. Hence, the current review focuses on highlighting the underlying molecular mechanism of action of cardamonin and delineating its potential in the prevention and treatment of different chronic diseases.

Cardamonin: A new player to fight cancer via multiple cancer signaling pathways

Nature's pharmacy has undoubtedly served humans as an affordable and safer health-care regime for a long times. Cardamonin, a chalconoid present in several plants has been known for a longtime to have beneficial properties towards human health. In this review, we aimed to highlight the recent advances achieved in discovering the pharmacological properties of cardamonin. Cardamonin is cardamom-derived chalcone, which plays a role in cancer treatment, immune system modulation, inflammation and pathogens killing. Through the modulation of cellular signaling pathways, cardamonin activates cell death signal to induce apoptosis in malignant cells that results in the inhibition of cancer development. Moreover, cardamonin arrests cell cycle by altering the expression of regulatory proteins during malignant cells division. Due to its relatively selective cytotoxic potential against host malignant cells, cardamonin is emerging as a promising novel experimental anticancer agent. The potential of cardamonin to target various signaling molecules, transcriptional factors, cytokines and enzymes, such as mTOR, NF-κB, Akt, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and COX-2 enhances the opportunity to explore it as a new multi-target therapeutic agent. The pharmacokinetic and biosafety profile of cardamonin favor it as a potentially safe biomolecule for pharmaceutical drug development.

4-Hydroxychalcone Induces Cell Death via Oxidative Stress in MYCN-Amplified Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Neuroblastoma is an embryonal malignancy that arises from cells of sympathoadrenal lineage during the development of the nervous system. It is the most common pediatric extracranial solid tumor and is responsible for 15% of childhood deaths from cancer. Fifty percent of cases are diagnosed as high-risk metastatic disease with a low overall 5-year survival rate. More than half of patients experience disease recurrence that can be refractory to treatment. Amplification of the MYCN gene is an important prognostic indicator that is associated with rapid disease progression and a poor prognosis, highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on identifying anticancer properties of naturally occurring chalcones, which are secondary metabolites with variable phenolic structures. Here, we report that 4-hydroxychalcone is a potent cytotoxin for MYCN-amplified IMR-32 and SK-N-BE (2) neuroblastoma cells, when compared to non-MYCN-amplified SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and to the non-neuroblastoma human embryonic kidney cell line, HEK293t. Moreover, 4-hydroxychalcone treatment significantly decreased cellular levels of the antioxidant glutathione and increased cellular reactive oxygen species. In addition, 4-hydroxychalcone treatment led to impairments in mitochondrial respiratory function, compared to controls. In support of this, the cytotoxic effect of 4-hydroxychalcone was prevented by co-treatment with either the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a pharmacological inhibitor of oxidative stress-induced cell death (IM-54) or the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species scavenger, Mito-TEMPO. When combined with the anticancer drugs cisplatin or doxorubicin, 4-hydroxychalcone led to greater reductions in cell viability than was induced by either anti-cancer agent alone. In summary, this study identifies a cytotoxic effect of 4-hydroxychalcone in MYCN-amplified human neuroblastoma cells, which rationalizes its further study in the development of new therapies for pediatric neuroblastoma.