Anticancer Activity of Novel Plant Extracts and Compounds from Adenosma bracteosum (Bonati) in Human Lung and Liver Cancer Cells

Unraveling the role of long non-coding RNAs in therapeutic resistance in acute myeloid leukemia: New prospects & challenges

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a fatal hematological disease characterized by the unchecked proliferation of immature myeloid blasts in different tissues developed by various mutations in hematopoiesis. Despite intense chemotherapeutic regimens, patients often experience poor outcomes, leading to substandard remission rates. In recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have increasingly become important prognostic and therapeutic hotspots, due to their contributions to dysregulating many functional epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-translational mechanisms leading to alterations in cell expressions, resulting in increased chemoresistance and reduced apoptosis in leukemic cells. Through this review, I highlight and discuss the latest advances in understanding the major mechanisms through which lncRNAs confer therapy resistance in AML. In addition, I also provide perspective on the current strategies to target lncRNA expressions. A better knowledge of the critical role that lncRNAs play in controlling treatment outcomes in AML will help improve existing medications and devise new ones.

Plant bioactive compounds driven microRNAs (miRNAs): A potential source and novel strategy targeting gene and cancer therapeutics

Irrespective of medical technology improvements, cancer ranks among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Although numerous cures and treatments exist, creating alternative cancer therapies with fewer adverse side effects is vital. Since ancient times, plant bioactive compounds have already been used as a remedy to heal cancer. These plant bioactive compounds and their anticancer activity can also deregulate the microRNAs (miRNAs) in the cancerous cells. Therefore, the deregulation of miRNAs in cancer cells by plant bioactive compounds and the usage of the related miRNA could be a promising approach for cancer cure, mainly to prevent cancer and overcome chemotherapeutic side effect problems. Hence, this review highlights the function of plant bioactive compounds as an anticancer agent through the underlying mechanism that alters the miRNA expression in cancer cells, ultimately leading to apoptosis. Moreover, this review provides insight into using plant bioactive compounds -driven miRNAs as an anticancer agent to develop miRNA-based cancer gene therapy. They can be the potential resource for gene therapy and novel strategies targeting cancer therapeutics.

Two spurge species, Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg and Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Hook.f. & Coss.) Vindt inhibit colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer, a prominent contributor to global cancer-related deaths, prompts the need for innovative treatment strategies. Euphorbia resinifera O. Berg (E. resinifera) and Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus Hook. f. & Coss Vindt (E. echinus) and their bee-derived products have been integral to traditional Moroccan medicine due to their potential health benefits. These plants have historical use in addressing various health issues, including cancer. However, their effects against colon cancer remain unclear, and the specific mechanisms underlying their anti-cancer effects lack comprehensive investigation.

METHODS

The study aimed to assess the potential anti-cancer effects of Euphorbia extract on colon cancer cell lines (DLD-1) through various techniques. The apoptosis, migration, and proliferation of DLD-1 cells were measured in DLD-1 cells. In addition, we conducted High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis to identify the profile of phenolic compounds present in the studied extracts.

RESULTS

The extracts demonstrated inhibition of colon cancer cell migration. E. resinifera flower and E. echinus stem extracts show significant anti-migratory effects. Regarding anti-proliferative activity, E. resinifera flower extract hindered proliferation, whereas E. echinus flower extract exhibited dose-dependent inhibition. Apoptosis assays revealed E. resinifera flower extract inducing early-stage apoptosis and E. echinus flower extract promoting late-stage apoptosis. While apoptotic protein expression indicated, E. resinifera stem and propolis extracts had minimal impact on apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide evidence supporting the beneficial effects of E resinifera and E. echinus extracts on colon cancer and exerting anti-cancer properties.

Bergenin inhibits growth of human cervical cancer cells by decreasing Galectin-3 and MMP-9 expression

Cervical cancer is still the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide even after introduction of vaccine against Human papillomavirus (HPV), due to low vaccine coverage, especially in the developing world. Cervical cancer is primarily treated by Chemo/Radiotherapy, depending on the disease stage, with Carboplatin/Cisplatin-based drug regime. These drugs being non-specific, target rapidly dividing cells, including normal cells, so safer options are needed for lower off-target toxicity. Natural products offer an attractive option compared to synthetic drugs due to their well-established safety profile and capacity to target multiple oncogenic hallmarks of cancer like inflammation, angiogenesis, etc. In the current study, we investigated the effect of Bergenin (C-glycoside of 4-O-methylgallic acid), a natural polyphenol compound that is isolated from medicinal plants such as Bergenia crassifolia, Caesalpinia digyna, and Flueggea leucopyrus. Bergenin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerogenic, and wound healing properties but its anticancer potential has been realized only recently. We performed a proteomic analysis of cervical carcinoma cells treated with bergenin and found it to influence multiple hallmarks of cancers, including apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tumor suppressor proteins. It was also involved in many different cellular processes unrelated to cancer, as shown by our proteomic analysis. Further analysis showed bergenin to be a potent-angiogenic agent by reducing key angiogenic proteins like Galectin 3 and MMP-9 (Matrix Metalloprotease 9) in cervical carcinoma cells. Further understanding of this interaction was carried out using molecular docking analysis, which indicated MMP-9 has more affinity for bergenin as compared to Galectin-3. Cumulatively, our data provide novel insight into the anti-angiogenic mechanism of bergenin in cervical carcinoma cells by modulation of multiple angiogenic proteins like Galectin-3 and MMP-9 which warrant its further development as an anticancer agent in cervical cancer.

Transforming microbial pigment into therapeutic revelation: extraction and characterization of pyocyanin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its therapeutic potential as an antibacterial and anticancer agent

BACKGROUND

The objectives of the current study were to extract pyocyanin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates, characterize its chemical nature, and assess its biological activity against different bacteria and cancer cells. Due to its diverse bioactive properties, pyocyanin, being one of the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa, holds a promising, safe, and available therapeutic potential.

METHODS

30 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were collected from different sources of infections and identified by routine methods, the VITEK 2 compact system, and 16 S rRNA. The phenazine-modifying genes (phzM, phzS) were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Pyocyanin chemical characterization included UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The biological activity of pyocyanin was explored by determining the MIC values against different clinical bacterial strains and assessing its anticancer activity against A549, MDA-MB-231, and Caco-2 cancer cell lines using cytotoxicity, wound healing and colony forming assays.

RESULTS

All identified isolates harboured at least one of the phzM or phzS genes. The co-presence of both genes was demonstrated in 13 isolates. The UV-VIS absorbance peaks were maxima at 215, 265, 385, and 520 nm. FTIR could identify the characteristic pyocyanin functional groups, whereas both GC-MS and LC-MS elucidated the chemical formula C11H18N2O2, with a molecular weight 210. The quadri-technical analytical approaches confirmed the chemical nature of the extracted pyocyanin. The extract showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with the greatest activity against Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus species (MICs 31.25-125 µg/mL), followed by E. coli isolates (MICs 250-1000 µg/mL). Regarding the anticancer activity, the pyocyanin extract showed IC50 values against A549, MDA-MB-231, and Caco-2 cancer cell lines of 130, 105, and 187.9 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, pyocyanin has markedly suppressed colony formation and migratory abilities in these cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The extracted pyocyanin has demonstrated to be a potentially effective candidate against various bacterial infections and cancers. Hence, the current findings could contribute to producing this natural compound easily through an affordable method. Nonetheless, future studies are required to investigate pyocyanin's effects in vivo and analyse the results of combining it with other traditional antibiotics or anticancer drugs.

Exploring the astonishing beneficial effects of round gourd (Praecitrullus fistulosus) and plant lectins towards cancer: A comprehensive review

Praecitrullus fistulosus, commonly known as round gourd or tinda, is a remarkable source of bioactive substances like polyphenols, antioxidants, carotene, magnesium, and vitamin C. It is considered one of the Cucurbitaceae family due to its medicinal features. Plant lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that can bind and identify the carbohydrate moieties upon cancerous cells demonstrated some anticancer potentials. Several plant lectins are helpful as cancer biomarkers because they can find cancer cells and contribute to cell death initiation via apoptosis and autophagy, suggesting the possible role of cancer-inhibiting pathways. Therefore, round gourd and lectins might be useful in the controlling of cancer. This study compiled the most recent scientific literature regarding the round gourd and numerous plant lectins, and the clinical trials of lectins exploring their effects on cancer were examined. Research according to the literature, round gourd, and lectins demonstrated pharmacological alterations not only in cancer but in many other disorders as well. Thus, clinical investigations proved the beneficial impacts of round gourd and lectins on cancer due to their antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. Further studies are required to fully comprehend the potential applications of these plant-derived compounds against cancer, as well as to identify the round gourd components and clarify their mode of action.

Structure-based virtual screening of anti-breast cancer compounds from Artemisia absinthium-insights through molecular docking, pharmacokinetics, and molecular dynamic simulations

Breast cancer is the world's second most frequent malignancy, with a significant mortality and morbidity rate. Nowadays, natural breast cancer medicine has piqued attention as disease-curing agent with low side effects. Herein, the leaf powder of Artemisia absinthium was extracted with ethanol, and GC-MS and LC-MS methods were employed to identify the phytocompounds. Using commercial software SeeSAR-9.2 and StarDrop, identified phytocompounds were docked with estrogen and progesterone breast cancer receptors as they promote breast cancer growth to find the binding affinity of the ligands, drugability, and toxicity. Hormone-mediated breast cancer accounts for about 80% of all cases of breast cancer. Cancer cells proliferate when estrogen and progesterone hormones are attached to these receptors. The molecular docking results demonstrated that 3',4',5,7-Tetrahydroxyisoflavanone (THIF) has stronger binding efficacy than standard drugs and other phytocompounds with -28.71 (3 hydrogen bonds) and -24.18 kcal/mol (6 hydrogen bonds) binding energies for estrogen and progesterone receptors, respectively. Pharmacokinetics and toxicity analysis were done to predict the drug-likeness of THIF which results in good drugability and less toxicity. The best fit THIF was subjected to a molecular dynamics simulation analysis by using Gromacs to analyze the conformational changes that occurred during protein-ligand interaction and found that, the structural changes were observed. The results from MD simulation and pharmacokinetic studies suggested that THIF can be expected that in vitro and in vivo research on this compound may lead to the development of a potent anti-breast cancer drug in the future.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Identification of peanut skin components for treating hepatocellular carcinoma via network pharmacology and in vitro experiments

Peanut skin (PS) contains various flavonoids and phenols that have antitumor and antioxidant effects. However, no research has been conducted on PS and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, this study sought to explore the potential mechanism of PS in treating HCC. PS was searched for in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and SYMMAP databases. HCC targets were searched for in five major databases. Protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were used for verification. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were used to verify the regulation of PS on human HCC (HepG2) cells. Ten ingredients and 95 common targets were identified for PS and HCC, respectively. The key targets of ingredients mainly relate to pathways such as hepatitis B, lipid and atherosclerosis, advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-AGE receptors (RAGEs) signaling pathway in diabetic complications, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, mitogen activated kinase-like protein (MAPK) signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In addition, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis indicated the ingredients had strong binding ability with the targets. Moreover, in vitro experiments confirmed that luteolin can promote the apoptosis of HepG2 cells by controlling the expression of phosphorylated protein-tyrosine kinase (p-AKT). This study provides preliminary evidence that PS produces a marked effect in regulating multiple signaling pathways in HCC through multiple ingredients acting on multiple core genes, including AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), MYC, caspase 3 (CASP3), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), jun proto-oncogene(JUN), and provides the basis for follow-up research to verify the mechanism of action of PS in treating HCC.

Methanol extract of Iraqi Kurdistan Region Daphne mucronata as a potent source of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents for the synthesis of novel and bioactive polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers

In this study, aqueous, ethanol, methanol, and hexane extracts from Iraqi Kurdistan Region Daphne mucronata were prepared due to the numerous applications and development of nanofibers in biological and medical fields, including food packaging, enzyme stabilization, and wound dressing. In the initial evaluation of the extracts, the antioxidant properties against DPPH, antimicrobial properties against 3-gram-positive bacterial species, 3-gram negative bacterial species, 3-common bacterial species between aquatic and human, and 3-fungal species, and anticancer properties against breast cancer cells were performed. The results proved that the methanol extract has the highest antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. After identifying the compounds of prepared methanol extract using GC/MS, polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of Daphne mucronata were prepared. The structure and characteristics of prepared nanofibers were confirmed and determined using FTIR, TGA, BET, SEM, flexural strength, compressive strength, and hydrophilicity. Synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata were subjected to antimicrobial properties on the strains studied in methanol extract of D. mucronata. The antimicrobial properties of synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata were compared. The results showed that synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers containing methanol extract of D. mucronata have the potential to introduction bioactive natural synthesis nanoparticles.

Insights into cryopreservation, recovery and genetic stability of medicinal plant tissues

Several plant secondary metabolites are used in the production of different pharmaceuticals based on their biological activities. The conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants is important for the industrial production of plant-based medicines. Different cryopreservation methods are used for long-term culture preservation, which allows fast regeneration of the preserved plant material with the maintenance of its primary original traits. These methods could ensure the sustainable indefinite supply of plant tissues for theoretically unlimited periods of time, and have gained considerable attention in recent years. It is important to assess the recovery rate and the genetic stability of the recovered plant tissues after cryopreservation because cryopreservation efficiency differs among plant tissues and species. This review lays particular emphasis on the pharmaceutical applications of plant secondary metabolites that are produced through tissue culture approaches, highlighting the methods used for their cryopreservation, as well as their recovery and genetic stability.

Fisetin induces apoptosis in human skin cancer cells through downregulating MTH1

Fisetin, a natural flavonoid molecule, has been shown to have anticancer properties against various malignancies. In this investigation, we discovered that Fisetin decreased cell viability of both the treated skin cancer cell lines A375 and A431 in a dose and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values ranging from 57.60 µM ± 6.59 to 41.70 µM ± 1.25 in A375 and 48.70 µM ± 5.49 to 33.67 µM ± 1.03 for A431 at the observed time ranging between 24 h to 72 h of treatment remained quite enthusiastic when compared with the normal HEK 293 cells. Fisetin significantly decreased colony formation and migratory ability of the cancer cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that Fisetin significantly restricted the progression of skin cancer cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and induced cells to undergo apoptosis by increasing reactive oxygen species, decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevating the count of early and late apoptotic cells. Our in silico studies of molecular docking followed by molecular dynamics simulation found that the interactions and stability of MTH1 protein with Fisetin further showed a considerable binding affinity for MTH1 (-11.4 kcal/mol) and developed stable complexes maintained throughout 100 ns trajectories. Our western blot analysis endorsed this. We found that Fisetin downregulated the expression levels of MTH1 also in addition, it played a crucial role in regulation of apoptotic events in cancer cells. We therefore, conclude that Fisetin anticancer properties against skin cancer cells are mediated through MTH1 inhibition followed by ATM and P53 upregulation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Polyprenols in Ginkgo biloba; a review of their chemistry (synthesis of polyprenols and their derivatives), extraction, purification, and bioactivities

The Ginkgo biloba L. (GB) contains high bioactive compounds. To date, flavonoids and terpene trilactone have received the majority of attention in GB studies, and the GB has been utilized globally in functional food and pharmacological firms, with sales > $10 billion since 2017, while the other active components, for instance, polyprenols (a natural lipid) with various bioactivities have received less attention. Hence, this review focused on polyprenols' chemistry (synthesis of polyprenols and their derivatives) extraction, purification, and bioactivities from GB for the first time. The various extractions and purification methods (nano silica-based adsorbent, bulk ionic liquid membrane, etc.) were delved into, and their advantages and limitations were discussed. Besides, numerous bioactivities of the extracted Ginkgo biloba polyprenols (GBP) were reviewed. The review showed that GB contains some polyprenols in acetic esters' form. Prenylacetic esters are free of adverse effects. Besides, the polyprenols from GB have numerous bioactivities such as anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-viral activity, etc. The application of GBPs in the food, cosmetics, and drugs industries such as micelles, liposomes, and nano-emulsions was delved into. Finally, the toxicity of polyprenol was reviewed, and it was concluded that GBP was not carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic, giving a theoretical justification for using GBP as a raw material for functional foods. This article will aid researchers to better understand the need to explore GBP usage.

New Halogenated Flavonoids from Adenosma bracteosum and Vitex negundo and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibition

Adenosma bracteosum and Vitex negundo are natural sources of methoxylated flavonoids. Little is known about the α-glucosidase inhibition of multi-methoxylated flavonoid derivatives. Eighteen natural flavonoids were isolated from A. bracteosum and V. negundo. Seven halogenated derivatives were synthesized. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive NMR analysis and high-resolution mass spectroscopy as well as comparisons in literature. All compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibition. Most compounds showed good activity with IC50 values ranging from 16.7 to 421.8 μM. 6,8-Dibromocatechin was the most active compound with an IC50 value of 16.7 μM. A molecular docking study was conducted, indicating that those compounds are potent α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis alkaloids activates p53 independent cell death receptor and necroptosis pathways in HepG2 cells

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis is a traditional medicinal plant with potential anti-cancer properties. In this study, crude and alkaloid extracts were prepared from different parts of the plant, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated on four different cancer cell lines. The alkaloid extracts from the leaf and fruit showed promising results, with the HepG2 cell line exhibiting significant cytotoxicity. The promising extracts were further studied for their apoptotic potential using various methods, including DNA fragmentation, TUNEL, Caspase-3 activity, Giemsa, and Hoechst staining. Our results indicated that the fruit extract had the highest apoptotic potential, with clear nuclear condensation, fragmentation, and apoptotic bodies observed. We also investigated the alteration of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio both at the mRNA and protein levels. Our results showed a significant upregulation of the Bax gene and downregulation of the Bcl-2 gene for the fruit alkaloid extract. This indicates that the phenomenon of cell death expression might be following a p53-independent extrinsic pathway and Bax-activated caspase-independent AIF-mediated necroptosis in the HepG2 cancer cell line. Overall, our findings suggest that Nyctanthes arbor-tristis has potential as a therapeutic option for cancer treatment. The alkaloid extracts from the leaf and fruit may hold promise as a source of bioactive compounds for further development into anti-cancer agents. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects and to evaluate their safety and efficacy in animal models and clinical trials.

Perplexing Polyphenolics: The Isolations, Syntheses, Reappraisals, and Bioactivities of Flavonoids, Isoflavonoids, and Neoflavonoids from 2016 to 2022

Flavonoids, isoflavonoids, neoflavonoids, and their various subcategories are polyphenolics-an extensive class of natural products. These compounds are bioactive and display multiple activities, including anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities. Thus, these compounds can serve as leads for therapeutic agents or targets for complex synthesis; they are coveted and routinely isolated, characterized, biologically evaluated, and synthesized. However, data regarding the compounds' sources, isolation procedures, structural novelties, bioactivities, and synthetic schemes are often dispersed and complex, a dilemma this review aims to address. To serve as an easily accessible guide for researchers wanting to apprise themselves of the latest advancements in this subfield, this review summarizes seventy-six (76) articles published between 2016 and 2022 that detail the isolation and characterization of two hundred and forty-nine (249) novel compounds, the total and semisyntheses of thirteen (13) compounds, and reappraisals of the structures of twenty (20) previously reported compounds and their bioactivities. This article also discusses new synthetic methods and enzymes capable of producing or modifying flavonoids, isoflavonoids, or neoflavonoids.

A pharmacological perspectives of Musa sapientum peels against lung cancer: An in vitro and in silico study

CONTEXT

The essential role of medicinal plants is studied over 5000 years against the life-threatening diseases such as cancer in developing countries. The more cognizance on molecular mechanism will engender trend to use them efficaciously.

AIMS

To analyze the pharmacological activity of banana peel against lung cancer.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

Banana fruit is a nutritious victuals with proven medicinal properties. The underlying molecular mechanism of phytochemicals present in the banana peel was studied using in vitro and in silico methods to explore an efficacious anticancer drug against lung cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The petroleum ether extract of Musa sapientum peel is analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in vitro studies using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and lipid peroxidase assay, and the in silico studies by molecular docking.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Microsoft Excel 2010 is used to calculate the mean and standard deviation for the ABTS and lipid peroxidation assay.

RESULTS

The antioxidant activity was found to be 20 µg/ml concentration in ABTS assay and 10 µg/ml concentration in lipid peroxidation assay. The in vitro anticancer activity was inspected using A549 cell lines by MTT assay. Tri cyclo [5,1,0,0 (2, 4) oct 5-ene 5 proponoic acid] 3,3,8,8 tetramethyl was selected as best lead against epidermal growth factor receptor of human based on the energy score calculated using the Auto-dock software.

CONCLUSIONS

This study strongly supports that unexploited banana peels could be used to harvest promising lead molecules against non-small cell lung cancer.

A purified and lyophilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa derived pyocyanin induces promising apoptotic and necrotic activities against MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pyocyanin, a specific extracellular secondary metabolite pigment produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, exhibits redox activity and has toxic effects on mammalian cells, making it a new and potent alternative for treating cancer. Breast cancer (BC) treatment is now defied by acquired and de novo resistance to chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapies. Therefore, the anticancer activity of purified and characterized pyocyanin was examined against BC in our study.

RESULTS

The maximum production of pyocyanin (53 µg/ml) was achieved by incubation of the highest pyocyanin-producing P. aeruginosa strain (P32) in pH-adjusted peptone water supplemented with 3% cetrimide under shaking conditions at 37 °C for 3 days. The high purity of the extracted pyocyanin was proven by HPLC against standard pyocyanin. The stability of pyocyanin was affected by the solvent in which it was stored. Therefore, the purified pyocyanin extract was lyophilized to increase its shelf-life up to one year. Using the MTT assay, we reported, for the first time, the cytotoxic effect of pyocyanin against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) with IC₅₀ = 15 μg/ml while it recorded a safe concentration against human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The anticancer potential of pyocyanin against MCF-7 was associated with its apoptotic and necrotic activities which were confirmed qualitatively and quantitively using confocal laser scanning microscopy, inverted microscopy, and flow cytometry. Caspase-3 measurements, using real-time PCR and western blot, revealed that pyocyanin exerted its apoptotic activity against MCF-7 through caspase-3 activation.

CONCLUSION

Our work demonstrated that pyocyanin may be an ideal anticancer candidate, specific to cancer cells, for treating MCF-7 by its necrotic and caspase-3-dependent apoptotic activities.

Comparison of Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Various Solvent Extracts Obtained from Millettia speciosa Stem Powder

Millettia speciosa is a plant extensively used as an important component in Chinese herbal medicine and food-based medicines. The present study was carried out to determine the total flavonoid content (TFC), volatile phytoconstituents, and pharmacological activities, i.e., antityrosinase, sunscreen, and anticancer activity, of different fractions of M. speciosa stem. Different organic solvents of increasing polarity, i.e., petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and methanol (MeOH), were used for extraction. The highest total flavonoid content, i.e., 48.30 ± 0.90%, was reported for PE extract. Various important phytocomponents were revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. Based on abundance, the major compounds were n-hexadecanoic acid (16.654%), n-hexadecanoic acid (14.808%), and beta-sitosterol (6.298%) for PE, EtOAc, and MeOH extract, respectively. The significant antityrosinase activity, i.e., 70.97 ± 0.66%, with an IC₅₀ value of 4.58 mg/mL was noted for PE extract followed by EtOAc extract, i.e., 59.84 ± 0.67%, with IC₅₀ value of 6.10 mg/mL. The maximum sunscreen activity was reported for PE extract exhibiting the maximum absorbance value (0.633 ± 0.06) in the ultraviolet (UV) region, i.e., UVC, while EtOAc extract showed the second highest level of absorbance in the UVB range, i.e., 0.632 ± 0.07. The strongest anticancer activity (49.73 ± 0.49% cell viability) towards MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was reported for PE extract with IC₅₀ 197.51 μg/mL. Our results confirmed the presence of potential therapeutic components for each extract with significant biological functions, showing the importance of the M. speciosa stem as a source of biomedicine. To our knowledge, this is the first report on M. speciosa stem extending comprehensive research about its phytochemical profile and various significant pharmacological activities.

Apoptosis Effects of Oxalis corniculata L. Extract on Human MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line:

Background: Recently, the non-toxic properties of natural plant products have gained more focus as anticancer agents. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the apoptosis effects of the ethanolic extract of Oxalis corniculata on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, aerial parts of O. corniculata were collected in Lahijan city (Iran), and after confirmation, they were dried and extracted with ethanol for 24 h. Then, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extract were measured. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay was used to measure the antioxidant properties of the extract. Selected cell lines (MCF-7 and human dermal fibroblast) were cultured in 6-wells dishes (1×10⁶ cells/well). After 72 h of treating the extract, cytotoxicity was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of apoptotic genes (such as p53, bcl-2, bax, and CD95) was studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The extract's total phenolic content was 31.30±02 μg of gallic acid equivalents/mg of dry extract, and the total flavonoid content was 49.61±04 μg of quercetin as equivalents/mg of extract. The antioxidant activity ofO. corniculata was measured at the dose of 619.2 μg/μl, indicating that it decreases cancer cell viability and enhances apoptosis. Within the half maximal inhibitory concentrations, real-time PCR revealed substantial increases in p53 (P<0.001), CD95 (P<0.05), and bcl-2 expression (P<0.05) in MCF-7 cells treated with O. corniculata. Conclusion: This study suggests that O. corniculata may cause apoptosis by oxidative stress in cancer cells.[GMJ.2022;11:e2484].

Phytochemical Analysis, Total Phenolic, Flavonoid Contents, and Anticancer Evaluations of Solvent Extracts and Saponins of H. digitata

Cancer is one of the most challenging diseases in the modern era for the researchers and investigators. Extensive research worldwide is underway to find novel therapeutics for prevention and treatment of diseases. The extracted natural sources have shown to be one of the best and effective treatments for cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Different approaches including disc potato model, brine shrimp, and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay were adopted to analyze the anticancer effects. Habenaria digitata was also evaluated for MTT activity against NIH/3T3 cell line. The dexamethasone, etoposide, and vincristine sulfate were used as a positive control in these assays. All of the extracts including crude extracts (Hd.Cr), saponin (Hd.Sp), n-hexane (Hd.Hx), chloroform (Hd.Chf), ethyl acetate (Hd.EA), and aqueous fraction (Hd.Aq) were shown excellent results by using various assays. For example, saponin and chloroform have displayed decent antitumor and angiogenic activity by using potato tumor assay. The saponin fraction and chloroform were shown to be the most efficient in potato tumor experiment, demonstrating 87.5 and 93.7% tumor suppression at concentration of 1000 μg/ml, respectively, with IC50 values of 25.5 and 18.3 μg/ml. Additionally, the two samples, chloroform and saponins, outperformed the rest of the test samples in terms of antiangiogenic activity, with IC50 28.63 μg/ml and 16.20 μg/ml, respectively. In characterizing all solvent fractions, the chloroform (Hd.Chf) and saponin (Hd.Sp) appeared to display good effectiveness against tumor and angiogenesis but very minimal activity against A. tumefaciens. The Hd.Chf and Hd.Sp have been prospective candidates in the isolation of natural products with antineoplastic properties.

Molecular Mechanisms of Gynostemma pentaphyllum in Prevention and Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Objective

Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer death on a global scale. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (G. pentaphyllum), a traditional medicinal material with a high medicinal and health value, has recently been reported for its anticancer activity. However, the pharmacological mechanism of G. pentaphyllum in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be elucidated.

Methods

The active ingredients of G. pentaphyllum were obtained from the TCMSP database and known therapeutic targets of NSCLC from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Disease-drug common targets are subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI), GO enrichment analysis, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. A molecular docking strategy was performed to verify the interaction between molecules.

Results

We found a total of 24 compounds of G. pentaphyllum fulfilling OB ≥ 30% concomitant with DL ≥ 0.18 and corresponding 81 target genes in the TCMSP database, with 5062 NSCLC-related genes collected in the GeneCards and OMIM databases. The network consisting of the disease-target compound was obtained, including 8 active ingredients and 69 common targets. The PPI network with 65 nodes and 645 edges was visualized. After functional enrichment analysis, it was revealed that the therapeutic effects of G. pentaphyllum on NSCLC were achieved through response to ketone, gland development, and cellular response to xenobiotic stimulus. After molecular docking analysis, it was revealed that the two active ingredients of G. pentaphyllum, quercetin and rhamnazin, bound well and stably to their targets (MYC, ESR1, and HIF1A).

Conclusion

Our study, based on network pharmacology, identifies active ingredients, targets, and pathways model mechanism of G. pentaphyllum when it is used to treat NSCLC.

How Should the Worldwide Knowledge of Traditional Cancer Healing Be Integrated with Herbs and Mushrooms into Modern Molecular Pharmacology?

Traditional herbal medicine (THM) is a “core” from which modern medicine has evolved over time. Besides this, one third of people worldwide have no access to modern medicine and rely only on traditional medicine. To date, drugs of plant origin, or their derivates (paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, vinorelbine, etoposide, camptothecin, topotecan, irinotecan, and omacetaxine), are very important in the therapy of malignancies and they are included in most chemotherapeutic regimes. To date, 391,000 plant and 14,000 mushroom species exist. Their medical and biochemical capabilities have not been studied in detail. In this review, we systematized the information about plants and mushrooms, as well as their active compounds with antitumor properties. Plants and mushrooms are divided based on the regions where they are used in ethnomedicine to treat malignancies. The majority of their active compounds with antineoplastic properties and mechanisms of action are described. Furthermore, on the basis of the available information, we divided them into two priority groups for research and for their potential of use in antitumor therapy. As there are many prerequisites and some examples how THM helps and strengthens modern medicine, finally, we discuss the positive points of THM and the management required to transform and integrate THM into the modern medicine practice.

Ethanolic extracts of Pakistani euphorbiaceous plants induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells through induction of DNA damage and caspase-dependent pathway

BACKGROUND

Numerous plants of Euphorbiaceae, thespurgefamily are traditionally used for the treatment of different diseases and recent studies also reported anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities of these plants. However, the medicinal potential of several indigenous euphorbiaceous plants of Pakistan is not described yet. Therefore, we intended to evaluate the in vitro anti-breast cancer potential of 10 euphorbiaceous plants of Pakistan.

METHODS

Cytotoxic screening of ethanolic extracts of selected plants was performed by MTT assay. The qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed to find the major groups of chemicals responsible for cytotoxic activity. To determine the genotoxic effect of plant extracts, microscopic analysis was carried out. Flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopic analysis were done to detect apoptosis. To find out the expression analysis of cell cycle and cell death regulatory genes, quantitative real-time polymerase reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed.

RESULTS

Among the 10 tested plants, ethanolic extracts of Croton tiglium (CTL) and Euphorbia royleana (ERA) were found to possess the highest anti-proliferative activity against breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7), with IC₅₀ values 100 and 80 µg/mL respectively. The phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, and steroids in both plant extracts, whereas, glycosides and saponins were found only in CTL and ERA, respectively. The cellular aberrations and nuclear morphologies with a distinct DNA laddering pattern substantiated the genotoxic effects. Furthermore, our data showed that CTL and ERA induce cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase by down-regulating the CDK4 and Cyclin D1 expression followed by caspase-dependent induction of apoptosis in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. However, based on the activation of initiator and executioner caspases, two distinct types of apoptotic pathways are proposed for these plants. The CTL prompted extrinsic while ERA triggered the intrinsic pathways of apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate the strong anti-proliferative and caspase-dependent apoptotic potential of CTL and ERA against breast cancer cells. Further studies are suggested to find clinical implications of these plants in breast cancer therapeutic.

Targeting Nrf2-Mediated Oxidative Stress Response in Traumatic Brain Injury: Therapeutic Perspectives of Phytochemicals

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), known as mechanical damage to the brain, impairs the normal function of the brain seriously. Its clinical symptoms manifest as behavioral impairment, cognitive decline, communication difficulties, etc. The pathophysiological mechanisms of TBI are complex and involve inflammatory response, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, and so on. Among them, oxidative stress, one of the important mechanisms, occurs at the beginning and accompanies the whole process of TBI. Most importantly, excessive oxidative stress causes BBB disruption and brings injury to lipids, proteins, and DNA, leading to the generation of lipid peroxidation, damage of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, neuronal apoptosis, and neuroinflammatory response. Transcription factor NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), a basic leucine zipper protein, plays an important role in the regulation of antioxidant proteins, such as oxygenase-1(HO-1), NAD(P)H Quinone Dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), to protect against oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis. Recently, emerging evidence indicated the knockout (KO) of Nrf2 aggravates the pathology of TBI, while the treatment of Nrf2 activators inhibits neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammatory responses via reducing oxidative damage. Phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, grains, and other medical herbs have been demonstrated to activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway and exert neuroprotective effects in TBI. In this review, we emphasized the contributive role of oxidative stress in the pathology of TBI and the protective mechanism of the Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress response for the treatment of TBI. In addition, we summarized the research advances of phytochemicals, including polyphenols, terpenoids, natural pigments, and otherwise, in the activation of Nrf2 signaling and their potential therapies for TBI. Although there is still limited clinical application evidence for these natural Nrf2 activators, we believe that the combinational use of phytochemicals such as Nrf2 activators with gene and stem cell therapy will be a promising therapeutic strategy for TBI in the future.

Morelloflavone as Potential Anticancer Agent Against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines: In vitro and In silico Studies

Background:

Breast cancer is most commonly reported to contribute to people's death. Nowadays, cancer treatment is focused on investigating anticancer drugs from natural compounds. Various methods, including in vitro, in vivo, and in silico methods, are used to assess the potential of anticancer compounds. The efficacy of bioactive compounds from medicinal plant origin lies in their affordability and minimized side effects. The Garcinia genus contains bioactive compounds, such as xanthones, benzophenones, triterpenes, biflavonoids, and benzoquinones.

Purpose:

The study aimed at investigating an active compound that can inhibit cancer cell growth and proteins that contribute to cancer cell growth, such as Caspase-9, TNF-α, ER-α, and HER-2.

Methods:

This study is divided into three steps. The first step is the isolation of the active compound from G. cymosa. The second step is an assessment of cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell by using MTT assay, and the last one is an investigation of the molecular mechanism of an active compound against Caspase-9, TNF-α, ER-α, and HER-2 by using in silico studies utilizing various programs, such as PyRx 0.8, PYMOL, and Discovery Studio.

Results:

Morelloflavone from G. cymosa stem barks has exhibited anticancer activity (55.84 μg/mL) eight times lower than doxorubicin (6.99 μg/mL), but it can block the activity of Caspase-9, TNF-α, ER- α, and HER-2. The binding affinity of morelloflavone is the strongest of all ligands.

Conclusion:

The natural flavonoid, morelloflavone, may be a new lead candidate for anticancer agent inhibiting action mechanism of Caspase-9, TNF-α, ER-α, and HER-2, respectively.

Cancer Cell Inhibiting Sea Cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) Protein as a Novel Anti-Cancer Drug

Cancer remains the primary cause of death worldwide. To develop less toxic anti-cancer drugs to relieve the suffering and improve the survival of cancer patients is the major focus in the anti-cancer field. To this end, marine creatures are being extensively studied for their anti-cancer effects, since extracts from at least 10% of the marine organisms have been shown to possess anti-tumor activities. As a classic Chinese traditional medicine, sea cucumbers and compounds extracted from the sea cucumbers, such as polysaccharides and saponins, have recently been shown to exhibit anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects. Holothuria leucospilota (H. leucospilota) is a tropical edible sea cucumber species that has been successfully cultivated and farmed in large scales, providing a readily available source of raw materials to support the development of novel marine anti-cancer drugs. However, very few studies have so far been performed on the biological activities of H. leucospilota. In this study, we first investigated the anti-cancer effect of H. leucospilota protein on three cancer cell lines (i.e., HepG2, A549, Panc02) and three normal cell lines (NIH-3T3, HaCaT, 16HBE). Our data showed that H. leucospilota protein decreased the cell viabilities of HepG2, A549, HaCaT, 16HBE in a concentration-dependent manner, while Panc02 and NIH-3T3 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. We also found that the inhibitory effect of H. leucospilota protein (≥10 μg/mL) on cell viability is near or even superior to EPI, a clinical chemotherapeutic agent. In addition, our data also demonstrated that H. leucospilota protein significantly affected the cell cycle and induced apoptosis in the three cancer cell lines investigated; in comparison, it showed no effects on the normal cell lines (i.e., NIH-3T3, HaCaT and 16HBE). Finally, our results also showed that H. leucospilota protein exhibited the excellent performance in inhibiting cell immigrations. In conclusion, H. leucospilota protein targeted the cancer cell cycles and induced cancer cell apoptosis; its superiority to inhibit cancer cell migration compared with EPI, shows the potential as a promising anti-cancer drug.

Nature׳s gifts to medicine: The metabolic effects of extracts from cocoons of Larinus hedenborgi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and their host plant Echinops cephalotes (Asteraceae) in diabetic rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Trehala manna (TM), the edible cocoons of several weevil species, e.g. Larinus hedenborgi Boheman, 1845 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and their host plant, i.e. Echinops cephalotes DC. (EC) (Asteraceae), are traditionally used to treat pain, inflammation, infectious diseases, as well as respiratory, renal, reproductive and metabolic disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study investigated the metabolic effects of aqueous extracts from TM and EC on diabetic male Wistar albino rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Animals were orally gavaged with the extracts (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg), normal saline, and glibenclamide (Glbn), for 28 days. The serum levels of glucose, insulin, lipid profile, and hepatic enzymes, plus the body weight of rats were measured at the beginning and the end of study. The proximate composition of the extracts was determined, additionally. The antioxidant and cytotoxic potency of the extracts were evaluated by radical scavenging/ferric reducing and viability assays, respectively.

RESULTS

Treatment of diabetic rats with the extracts significantly altered metabolic biomarkers compared with diabetic, control and Glbn-treated groups, but not in a dose-dependent manner. However, the antihyperglycemic effects of TM₇₅/EC₃₀₀, the antiobesity effects of EC₁₅₀, and the hepatoprotective effects of TM₁₅₀/EC₁₅₀ were even stronger than those of Glbn. TM/EC-treated groups represented normal cell architecture in the pancreatic and renal tissues. Nutrient analysis displayed that TM is rich in sugar and magnesium, whereas EC is abundant in protein, sodium, potassium, and calcium. The extracts showed no antioxidant and cytotoxic effects, as compared to the control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that active ingredients in the extracts evaluated are responsible for the metabolic effects by lowering blood sugar and restoring the damaged islets of Langerhans. The close trophic relationship of the TM-producing beetle with the host thistle justifies the overlaps of the bioactivity of the TM and EC extracts.

A pharmacognostic approach for mitigating pancreatic cancer: emphasis on herbal extracts and phytoconstituents

Background

Pancreatic cancer is studied as one of the most lethal cancers with currently no control of its lethality, mainly due to its late diagnosis and lack of foolproof treatment processes. Despite continuous efforts being made in looking for therapies to deal with cancer, it keeps on being a labyrinth for the researchers. Efforts like discovering new treatment options, repurposing existing drugs, are continuously made to deal with this cancer.

Main body

With the urge to get answers and the fact that nature has all roots of therapeutics, efforts are made in the direction of finding those answers for providing ministrations for pancreatic cancer from plant products. Plant products are used as treatment options either directly in the form of extracts or an alternative to them is individual phytochemicals that are either isolated from the plants or are commercially synthesized for various purposes. In this review, we put forward such pharmacognostic initiatives made in combating pancreatic cancer, focusing mainly on plant extracts and various phytochemicals; along with the mechanisms which they triggered to fulfill the need for cytotoxicity to pancreatic cancer cells (in vitro and in vivo).

Conclusion

This study will thus provide insights into new combination therapy that can be used and also give a clue on which plant product and phytoconstituent can be used in dealing with pancreatic cancer.

Graphical abstract

The Antiproliferative and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects of the Red Macroalgae Gelidium latifolium Extract against Melanoma Cells

The red macroalga Gelidium latifolium is widely distributed in the coastal areas of Indonesia. However, current knowledge on its potential biological activities is still limited. In this study, we investigated the potential bioactive compounds in Gelidium latifolium ethanol extract (GLE), and its cytotoxic effects against the murine B16-F10 melanoma cell line. GLE shows high total phenolic content (107.06 ± 17.42 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (151.77 ± 3.45 mg QE/g), which potentially contribute to its potential antioxidant activity (DPPH = 650.42 ± 2.01 µg/mL; ABTS = 557.01 ± 1.94 µg/mL). ESI-HR-TOF-MS analysis revealed large absorption in the [M-H]^- of 327.2339 m/z, corresponding to the monoisotopic molecular mass of brassicolene. The presence of this compound potentially contributes to GLE's cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ = 84.29 ± 1.93 µg/mL). Furthermore, GLE significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells (66.83 ± 3.06%) compared to controls (18.83 ± 3.76%). Apoptosis was also confirmed by changes in the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes (i.e., p53, Bax, Bak, and Bcl2). Downregulated expression of Bcl2 indicates an intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Current results suggest that components of Gelidium latifolium should be further investigated as possible sources of novel antitumor drugs.

Review On Documented Medicinal Plants Used For The Treatment Of Cancer

Background:

Cancer is a frightful disease and it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Naturally derived compounds are gaining interest of research workers as they have less toxic side effects as compared to currently used treatments such as chemotherapy. Plants are the pool of chemical compounds which provides a promising future for research on cancer.

Objective:

This review paper provides updated information gathered on medicinal plants and isolated phytoconstituents used as anticancer agents and summarises the plant extracts and their isolated chemical constituents exhibiting anticancer potential on clinical trials.

Methods:

An extensive bibliographic investigation was carried out by analysing worldwide established scientific databases like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar etc. In next few decades, herbal medicine may become a new epoch of medical system.

Results:

Many researches are going on medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer but it is a time to increase further experimental studies on plant extracts and their chemical constituents to find out their mechanism of action at molecular level.

Conclusion:

The article may help many researchers to start off further experimentation that might lead to the drugs for the cancer treatment.

Effectiveness and Anticancer Activity of a Novel Phenolic Compound from Garcinia porrecta Against the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line in vitro and in silico

Background

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with breast cancer being the most common invasive cancer type in women. Several therapeutic strategies have been explored to reduce the mortality rates of breast cancer. Chemotherapy is the most commonly used systemic treatment, but associated with numerous side-effects. Development of anticancer agents with high efficacy and minimal negative effects is therefore an important focus of research. Natural materials provide an excellent source of bioactive compounds. For instance, Garcinia porrecta from the Clusiaceae family has multiple pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-HIV, antidepressant, and anticancer properties.

Purpose

The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential anticancer effects of compounds extracted from the bark of G. porrecta.

Materials and Methods

Our experiments were divided into three steps: (1) chromatographic isolation of compounds using various separation techniques, such as extraction, separation and purification, (2) characterization via infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy, and (3) evaluation of anticancer activity in vitro (MTT assay) and in silico (via analysis of molecular docking against caspase-9, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)).

Results

Depsidone (1) and benzophenone (2) from the ethyl acetate extract of bark of G. porrecta were identified as bioactive components. Examination of the activities of these compounds against MCF-7 cells revealed an IC₅₀ value of 119.3 µg/mL for benzophenone, whereas IC₅₀ for depsidone could not be estimated. Benzophenone activity was lower than that of the positive control doxorubicin (6.9 µg/mL). Depsidone showed the highest binding affinity for HER-2 (−9.2 kcal.mol-1) and benzophenone for ER-α (−8.0 kcal.mol-1).

Conclusion

Benzophenone displays potency as an anticancer agent through blocking ER-α.

Teucrium polium extract-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: A design and in vitro anticancer study

Teucrium polium extract (TPE) is a natural product with potent anticancer activity because of its terpenoid and flavonoid content. The aim of this study was to synthesize solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing T. polium extract (TPE-SLNs) and to evaluate its anti-cancer effect. Formulations of TPE-SLNs were prepared using high-shear homogenization followed by the ultra-sonication technique. Then the TPE-SLNs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zetasizer and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods. After confirming the presence of nanoparticles, its anti-proliferative activity was evaluated on Ntra-2 cancer cells and compared to human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) as a normal cell line by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The pro-apoptotic (flow cytometry) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) and anti-angiogenic (chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM)) and anti-inflammatory (qPCR) effects of TPE-SLNs were assessed by various methods. TPE-SLNs (85.5 nm, PDI: 0.39, and zeta potential: -25.5 mv) were inhibited by the proliferation of Ntra-2 cancer cells with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ ; 106.58 µg/ml). Moreover, by increasing the expression of caspase-3,9 and decreasing the expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1b, and Bcl-2 genes, apoptosis and anti-inflammatory effects were observed. Reduction of angiogenesis was observed by the reduction of genes involved in angiogenesis and reduction of vascular and embryonic factors in the CAM assay. Activation of various mechanisms of inhibiting cancer cells in the treatment of nanoparticles was demonstrated in the present study. Therefore, these nanoparticles can be recommended for therapeutic purposes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are composed of pure solid fats and have been researched for many applications. Advantages such as high safety, low toxicity, control of drug release, and increase in chemical stability of loaded drugs distinguish these systems from other colloidal systems. According to the results of this study, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing T. polium extract showed their anti-cancer effects through various strategies such as inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting inflammation, and inducing apoptosis on Ntra-2 cells. These results make it possible to apply these nanocarriers in the loading and transport of drugs to treat various diseases such as cancer.

Analysis of Peganum harmala, Melia azedarach and Morus alba extracts against six lethal human cancer cells and oxidative stress along with chemical characterization through advance Fourier Transform and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic methods towards green chemotherapeutic agents

Traditional medicines implicate consumption of plant crude extracts, which may consist of extensive phytochemical diversity. Overall, the most biologically active extract of Peganum harmala (seeds) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity on Artemia salina with LC50 value of 61.547 µg/mL, while P. harmala (roots) [LC50 = 124.229 µg/mL] and M. azedarach (fruits) [LC50 = 147.813 µg/mL] showed moderate cytotoxic potential. P. harmala (seeds) extract also showed the maximum antitumor potential with 52.278 µg/mL LC50. Branches of P. harmala and Morus alba were not active in both bioassays. These outcomes were further reinforced by the levels of phenolics and flavonoids checked against gallic acid and quercetin equivalents, respectively, by standard curves. Current study aims to isolate, structurally characterize and analyze the bioactive compound from plant extracts by using chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques. Bioactivity guided isolation of extracts led to the isolation of PH-HM-16 from ethyl acetate fraction P. harmala seeds. Chemical structure of PH-HM-16 was elucidated by ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC and IR spectrum. The results demonstrated significant positive anticancer activities against six human cancer cell lines assessed through MTT cancer cell growth inhibition assay. PH-HM-16 was most effective against prostate cancer cell lines [IC50 = 17.63 µg/mL] followed by breast cancer cell line MCF7 [IC50 value of 41.81 µg/mL]. IC50 value of PH-HM-16 against human myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60 and human colorectal tumor cells HCT-116 was observed as 68.77 µg/mL and 71.54 µg/mL respectively. The IC 50 value of PH-HM-16 compound was not significant against human gastric cancer SGC-7901 (111.89 µg/mL) and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line A549 (176.04 µg/mL). Isolated bioactive metabolite PH-HM-16 possesses significant antitumor potential so this could be the first step to develop an effective anticancer agent. Hence, this compound represents a promising potential to be chemically standardized or developed into pharmaceuticals for the chemoprevention and/or the treatment of certain types of cancer, especially as adjuvant phytotherapeutics in conventional chemotherapy.

Cytotoxic Fractions from Hechtia glomerata Extracts and p-Coumaric Acid as MAPK Inhibitors

Preliminary bioassay-guided fractionation was performed to identify cytotoxic compounds from Hechtia glomerata, a plant that is used in Mexican ethnomedicine. Organic and aqueous extracts were prepared from H. glomerata’s leaves and evaluated against two cancer cell lines. The CHCl₃/MeOH (1:1) active extract was fractionated, and the resulting fractions were assayed against prostate adenocarcinoma PC3 and breast adenocarcinoma MCF7 cell lines. Active fraction 4 was further analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight–mass spectrometry analysis to identify its active constituents. Among the compounds that were responsible for the cytotoxic effects of this fraction were flavonoids, phenolic acids, and aromatic compounds, of which p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and its derivatives were abundant. To understand the mechanisms that underlie p-CA cytotoxicity, a microarray assay was performed on PC3 cells that were treated or not with this compound. The results showed that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) that regulate many cancer-related pathways were targeted by p-CA, which could be related to the reported effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A molecular docking study of p-CA showed that this phenolic acid targeted these protein active sites (MAPK8 and Serine/Threonine protein kinase 3) at the same binding site as their inhibitors. Thus, we hypothesize that p-CA produces ROS, directly affects the MAPK signaling pathway, and consequently causes apoptosis, among other effects. Additionally, p-CA could be used as a platform for the design of new MAPK inhibitors and re-sensitizing agents for resistant cancers.

Toxicological evaluations of betulinic acid and ursolic acid; common constituents of Houttuynia cordata used as an anthelmintic by the Naga tribes in North-east India

Background

Betulinic acid (BA) and ursolic acid (UA) are two major phytoconstituents of Houttuynia cordata Thunb., (Saururaceae) which is used as an anthelmintic in the traditional medicine system of the Nagas in Nagaland, India. This study evaluates their toxic potentials using rodent models (Swiss albino mice and Wistar rats) according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines. Acute and 28-day sub-acute oral toxicity studies were conducted, and evaluations were made based on biochemical, hematological, and histopathological observations.

Results

Acute oral toxicity study revealed the oral LD50 of both the test compounds to be > 2000 mg/kg in mice. Sub-acute administration of BA at 10 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) revealed a significant increase in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea concentrations and eosinophil and lymphocyte counts in rats. Animals administered with 10 mg/kg b.w. UA revealed elevated neutrophil count, SGOT, ALP, and urea concentrations, whereas white blood cells (WBC), lymphocyte, and platelet counts were found to be low. Histopathological examinations of body organs revealed alterations in the architecture of the liver, kidney, and spleen tissues. Notably, all these alterations were recoverable as evident in the satellite group, indicating a recovering pattern from the toxic effects caused by the oral administration of these phytocompounds.

Conclusion

Although UA and BA possess several therapeutic properties, their long-term usage can cause mild toxicity in their users. This study also paves way for evaluating the optimum effective and safe dose of these phytocompounds.

Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) as a Potential Dietary Medicine with Nutraceutical Importance for Sustainable Health Applications

Recently, there has been a paradigm shift from conventional therapies to relatively safer phytotherapies. This divergence is crucial for the management of various chronic diseases. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is a popular vegetable crop with good nutritional significance, along with certain therapeutic values, which makes it a potential candidate in the use of a variety of nutraceuticals. Different parts of the okra fruit (mucilage, seed, and pods) contain certain important bioactive components, which confer its medicinal properties. The phytochemicals of okra have been studied for their potential therapeutic activities on various chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular, and digestive diseases, as well as the antifatigue effect, liver detoxification, antibacterial, and chemo-preventive activities. Moreover, okra mucilage has been widely used in medicinal applications such as a plasma replacement or blood volume expanders. Overall, okra is considered to be an easily available, low-cost vegetable crop with various nutritional values and potential health benefits. Despite several reports about its therapeutic benefits and potential nutraceutical significance, there is a dearth of research on the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of okra, which has hampered its widespread use in the nutraceutical industry. This review summarizes the available literature on the bioactive composition of okra and its potential nutraceutical significance. It will also provide a platform for further research on the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of okra for its possible commercial production as a therapeutic agent against various chronic diseases.

Ethnopharmacology, Therapeutic Properties and Nutritional Potentials of Carpobrotus edulis: A Comprehensive Review

Carpobrotus edulis, formerly known as Mesembryanthemum edule L, belongs to the Aizoaceae family of plants. It is a facultative halophytic invasive medicinal and edible succulent plant that is native to South Africa and is distributed worldwide. Hitherto, this plant appears to be mainly known for its ornamental use in decorations, soil stabilization, and erosion control, and not for its many potential medicinal and nutritional benefits, thus suggesting its underutilization. This review presents cogent and comprehensive information on the distribution, ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and nutritional value of Carpobrotus edulis and provides the rationale for further pharmacognostic research that will validate its many folkloric medicinal and nutraceutical claims, and promote its standardization into a commercially available product. The reported traditional use of this plant for the treatment of sinusitis, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, infantile eczema, fungal and bacterial infections, oral and vaginal thrush, high blood pressure, diabetes, wound infections, spider and tick bites, sore throat as well as mouth infections are well documented. Its therapeutic activities such as anti-proliferative, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, and nutritional value have also been reported to be attributable to the array of phytoconstituents present in the plant. These have promoted renewed research interests into this valuable medicinal plant with a view to repositioning and expanding its uses from the current predominantly ornamental and environmental management role to include phytotherapeutical applications through scientific validation studies that will improve its value for the drug discovery process as well as its contribution to food security.

Anti-Hepatocellular-Cancer Activity Exerted by β-Sitosterol and β-Sitosterol-Glucoside from Indigofera zollingeriana Miq

Indigofera zollingeriana Miq (I.zollingeriana) is a widely grown tree in Vietnam. It is used to cure various illnesses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical constituents of an I. zollingeriana extract and test its anticancer activity on hepatocellular cells (Huh7 and HepG2). The experimental results of the analysis of the bioactive compounds revealed that β-sitosterol (β-S) and β-sitosterol-glucoside (β-SG) were the main ingredients of the I.zollingeriana extract. Regarding anticancer activity, the β-S and β-SG of I. zollingeriana were found to exhibit cytotoxic effects against HepG2 and Huh7 cells, but not against normal human primary fibroblasts. The β-S was able to inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells in a dose-dependent manner with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 6.85 ± 0.61 µg/mL and 8.71 ± 0.21 µg/mL, respectively (p < 0.01), whereas the β-SG IC₅₀ values were 4.64 ± 0.48 µg/mL for HepG2 and 5.25 ± 0.14 µg/mL for Huh7 cells (p < 0.01). Remarkably, our study also indicated that β-S and β-SG exhibited cytotoxic activities via inducing apoptosis and activating caspase-3 and -9 in these cells. These findings demonstrated that β-S and β-SG from I.zollingeriana could potentially be developed into promising therapeutic agents to treat liver cancer.