Cucurbitacin B, Purified and Characterized From the Rhizome of Corallocarpus epigaeus Exhibits Anti-Melanoma Potential

Bitter Phytochemicals as Novel Candidates for Skin Disease Treatment

Skin diseases represent a global healthcare challenge due to their rising incidence and substantial socio-economic burden. While biological, immunological, and targeted therapies have brought a revolution in improving quality of life and survival rates for certain dermatological conditions, there remains a stringent demand for new remedies. Nature has long served as an inspiration for drug development. Recent studies have identified bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) in both skin cell lines and human skin. Additionally, bitter natural compounds have shown promising benefits in addressing skin aging, wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions, and even skin cancer. Thus, TAS2Rs may represent a promising target in all these processes. In this review, we summarize evidence supporting the presence of TAS2Rs in the skin and emphasize their potential as drug targets for addressing skin aging, wound healing, inflammatory skin conditions, and skin carcinogenesis. To our knowledge, this is a pioneering work in connecting information on TAS2Rs expression in skin and skin cells with the impact of bitter phytochemicals on various beneficial effects related to skin disorders.

Identification and quantification of cucurbitacin in watermelon frost using molecular networking integrated with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Watermelon frost, a traditional Chinese medicine produced using watermelon and Glauber's salt, has been widely used for the therapy of oral and throat disorders. Watermelon contains various phytochemical compounds including cucurbitacins and their glycoside derivatives, which have attracted considerable attention because of their medicinal values. However, whether the composition of cucurbitacins existed in watermelon frost was rarely reported. In this study, three cucurbitacins including cucurbitacin B, isocucurbitacin B, and cucurbitacin E were found from watermelon frost extract assisted by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and molecular networking guided strategy, and the compounds were verified using standard solutions. Furthermore, a quantification method for simultaneously targeted analysis of cucurbitacins was established using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry operating in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Among them, cucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin E in watermelon frost samples were determined, and the concentrations were 3.78 ± 0.18 and 0.86 ± 0.19 ng/ml, respectively. While isocucurbitacin B was not detected due to the lower content possibly. In conclusion, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with molecular networking is a very useful technique for the rapid identification of unknown cucurbitacin components in watermelon frost.

Cucurbitacins as potential anticancer agents: new insights on molecular mechanisms

Since ancient times, plants have been an extensive reservoir of bioactive compounds with therapeutic interest for new drug development and clinical application. Cucurbitacins are a compelling example of these drug leads, primarily present in the plant kingdom, especially in the Cucurbitaceae family. However, these natural compounds are also known in several genera within other plant families. Beyond the Cucurbitaceae family, they are also present in other plant families, as well as in some fungi and one shell-less marine mollusc. Despite the natural abundance of cucurbitacins in different natural species, their obtaining and isolation is limited, as a result, an increase in their chemical synthesis has been developed by researchers. Data on cucurbitacins and their anticancer activities were collected from databases such as PubMed/MedLine, TRIP database, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect and the information was arranged sequentially for a better understanding of the antitumor potential. The results of the studies showed that cucurbitacins have significant biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimalarial, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and antitumor potential. In conclusion, there are several studies, both in vitro and in vivo reporting this important anticancer/chemopreventive potential; hence a comprehensive review on this topic is recommended for future clinical research.

Cucurbitacins as Potent Chemo-Preventive Agents: Mechanistic Insight and Recent Trends

Cucurbitacins constitute a group of cucumber-derived dietary lipids, highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenoids, with potential medical uses. These compounds are known to interact with a variety of recognized cellular targets to impede the growth of cancer cells. Accumulating evidence has suggested that inhibition of tumor cell growth via induction of apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, anti-metastasis and anti-angiogenesis are major promising chemo-preventive actions of cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins may be a potential choice for investigations of synergism with other drugs to reverse cancer cells' treatment resistance. The detailed molecular mechanisms underlying these effects include interactions between cucurbitacins and numerous cellular targets (Bcl-2/Bax, caspases, STAT3, cyclins, NF-κB, COX-2, MMP-9, VEGF/R, etc.) as well as control of a variety of intracellular signal transduction pathways. The current study is focused on the efforts undertaken to find possible molecular targets for cucurbitacins in suppressing diverse malignant processes. The review is distinctive since it presents all potential molecular targets of cucurbitacins in cancer on one common podium.

Modulation of Cytoskeleton, Protein Trafficking, and Signaling Pathways by Metabolites from Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae Plant Families

One promising frontier within the field of Medical Botany is the study of the bioactivity of plant metabolites on human health. Although plant metabolites are metabolic byproducts that commonly regulate ecological interactions and biochemical processes in plant species, such metabolites also elicit profound effects on the cellular processes of human and other mammalian cells. In this regard, due to their potential as therapeutic agents for a variety of human diseases and induction of toxic cellular responses, further research advances are direly needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms induced by these agents. Herein, we focus our investigation on metabolites from the Cucurbitaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae plant families, for which several plant species are found within the state of Florida in Hillsborough County. Specifically, we compare the molecular mechanisms by which metabolites and/or plant extracts from these plant families modulate the cytoskeleton, protein trafficking, and cell signaling to mediate functional outcomes, as well as a discussion of current gaps in knowledge. Our efforts to lay the molecular groundwork in this broad manner hold promise in supporting future research efforts in pharmacology and drug discovery.

Pharmacokinetics and Biological Activity of Cucurbitacins

Cucurbitacins are a class of secondary metabolites initially isolated from the Cucurbitaceae family. They are important for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer biological actions. This review addresses pharmacokinetic parameters recently reported, including absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination phases of cucurbitacins. It includes recent studies of the molecular mechanisms of the biological activity of the most studied cucurbitacins and some derivatives, especially their anticancer capacity, to propose the integration of the pharmacokinetic profiles of cucurbitacins and the possibilities of their use. The main botanical genera and species of American origin that have been studied, and others whose chemo taxonomy makes them essential sources for the extraction of these metabolites, are summarized.