Hesperidin exhibits in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and xenograft mice models via inhibition of cell migration and invasion, cell cycle arrest and induction of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis

7-Geranyloxycoumarin modulated metastatic potential of osteosarcoma cells via interaction with MMPs and JAK1/2

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive bone cancer that primarily affects young adults. The tumor microenvironment and molecular mediators, including Janus kinases (JAKs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), significantly influence OS metastasis; activation of the JAK/STAT pathway enhances MMP expression and activity, promoting OS metastasis. 7-Geranyloxycoumarin, a natural agent found in various edible fruits and vegetables, possesses valuable pharmaceutical activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 7-geranyloxycoumarin on the metastasis of OS cells for the first time. To achieve this, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed from the potential molecular and pathogenic targets associated with 7-geranyloxycoumarin and OS to identify overlapping targets. Subsequently, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations were also performed to elucidate the binding affinity of 7-geranyloxycoumarin with JAK1 and JAK2. For in vitro studies, 7-geranyloxycoumarin was first extracted from Ferula szowitsiana using thin-layer chromatography. The cells were then treated and evaluated for viability, apoptosis, migration, invasion, adhesion, and MMPs activity. The study identified 50 shared targets and revealed MMP-2, MMP-9, JAK1, and JAK2 as hub genes, confirmed through enrichment analyses. Molecular docking revealed strong interactions between 7-geranyloxycoumarin and JAK1 and JAK2 proteins, and molecular dynamics simulations indicated both conformational flexibility and binding stability of the ligand-protein complex. Moreover, experimental studies demonstrated that 7-geranyloxycoumarin did not induce apoptosis but significantly altered the migration, invasion, and adhesion of OS cells by inhibiting the activity of MMPs. In conclusion, 7-geranyloxycoumarin is proposed as a promising therapeutic agent for targeting metastasis in OS cells.

An osteosarcoma-on-a-chip model for studying osteosarcoma matrix-cell interactions and drug responses

Marrow niches in osteosarcoma (OS) are a specialized microenvironment that is essential for the maintenance and regulation of OS cells. However, existing animal xenograft models are plagued by variability, complexity, and high cost. Herein, we used a decellularized osteosarcoma extracellular matrix (dOsEM) loaded with extracellular vesicles from human bone marrow-derived stem cells (hBMSC-EVs) and OS cells as a bioink to construct a micro-osteosarcoma (micro-OS) through 3D printing. The micro-OS was further combined with a microfluidic system to develop into an OS-on-a-chip (OOC) with a built-in recirculating perfusion system. The OOC system successfully integrated bone marrow niches, cell‒cell and cell-matrix crosstalk, and circulation, allowing a more accurate representation of OS characteristics in vivo. Moreover, the OOC system may serve as a valuable research platform for studying OS biological mechanisms compared with traditional xenograft models and is expected to enable precise and rapid evaluation and consequently more effective and comprehensive treatments for OS.

Recent understanding of the mechanisms of the biological activities of hesperidin and hesperetin and their therapeutic effects on diseases

Flavonoids are natural phytochemicals that have therapeutic effects and act in the prevention of several pathologies. These phytochemicals can be found in lemon, sweet orange, bitter orange, clementine. Hesperidin and hesperetin are citrus flavonoids from the flavanones subclass that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor and antibacterial potential. Preclinical studies and clinical trials demonstrated therapeutical effects of hesperidin and its aglycone hesperetin in various diseases, such as bone diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, respiratory diseases, digestive diseases, urinary tract diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biological activities of hesperidin and hesperetin, their therapeutic potential in various diseases and their associated molecular mechanisms. This article also discusses future considerations for the clinical applications of hesperidin and hesperetin.

In vitro cytotoxic effect of stigmasterol derivatives against breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Stigmasterol is an unsaturated phytosterol that belong to the class of tetracyclic steroids abundant in Rhoicissus tridentata. Stigmasterol is an important constituent since it has shown impressive pharmacological effects such as anti-osteoarthritis, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, immunomodulatory, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, and neuroprotective activities. Furthermore, due to the presence of π system and hydroxyl group, stigmasterol is readily derivatized through substitution and addition reactions, allowing for the synthesis of a wide variety of stigmasterol derivatives.

METHODS

Stigmasterol (1) isolated from Rhoicissus tridentata was used as starting material to yield eight bio-active derivatives (2-9) through acetylation, epoxidation, epoxide ring opening, oxidation, and dihydroxylation reactions. The structures of all the compounds were established using spectroscopic techniques, NMR, IR, MS, and melting points. The synthesized stigmasterol derivatives were screened for cytotoxicity against the hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (MCF-7), triple-negative breast cancer (HCC70), and non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial (MCF-12 A) cell lines using the resazurin assay.

RESULTS

Eight stigmasterol derivatives were successfully synthesized namely; Stigmasterol acetate (2), Stigmasta-5,22-dien-3,7-dione (3), 5,6-Epoxystigmast-22-en-3β-ol (4), 5,6-Epoxystigmasta-3β,22,23-triol (5), Stigmastane-3β,5,6,22,23-pentol (6), Stigmasta-5-en-3,7-dion-22,23-diol (7), Stigmasta-3,7-dion-5,6,22,23-ol (8) and Stigmast-5-ene-3β,22,23-triol (9). This is the first report of Stigmasta-5-en-3,7-dion-22,23-diol (7) and Stigmasta-3,7-dion-5,6,22,23-ol (8). The synthesized stigmasterol analogues showed improved cytotoxic activity overall compared to the stigmasterol (1), which was not toxic to the three cell lines tested (EC50 ˃ 250 µM). In particular, 5,6-Epoxystigmast-22-en-3β-ol (4) and stigmast-5-ene-3β,22,23-triol (9) displayed improved cytotoxicity and selectivity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells (EC50 values of 21.92 and 22.94 µM, respectively), while stigmastane-3β,5,6,22,23-pentol (6) showed improved cytotoxic activity against the HCC70 cell line (EC50: 16.82 µM).

CONCLUSION

Natural products from Rhoicissus tridentata and their derivatives exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anticancer activity. The results obtained from this study indicate that molecular modification of stigmasterol functional groups can generate structural analogues with improved anticancer activity. Stigmasterol derivatives have potential as candidates for novel anticancer drugs.

Anticancer Potential of Hesperidin against HEp-2 Laryngeal Carcinoma Cell Line in Comparison to Doxorubicin

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a drug that is frequently used to treat a variety of cancers. Unfortunately, in many situations, it is ineffective, and raising the dosage is restricted due to systemic toxicity. An important strategy to minimize the toxic effects of the above cited drug is to use co-adjuvant. A citrus flavonoid hesperidin (Hesp) has emerged as promising anticancer natural product and proved to be potent antioxidant agent. It suppresses cancer cell replicating by triggering apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. AIM: The study’s goal was to investigate anticarcinogenic effects of Hesp in comparison with DOX against HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five groups of HEp-2 cell line were included, two groups were subjected to Hesp and the other two groups were subjected to DOX, which was used as a reference drug, in addition to a control untreated group. Expression of Bcl-2 and p53 genes was evaluated. Furthermore, the cell cycle arrest and apoptotic induction were assessed. RESULTS: Hesp exerted anti-proliferative effects against HEp-2 cells which increase in time dependent manner. Gene profile analysis revealed highly statistically significant decrease of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and highly statistically significant increase of tumor suppressor gene p53 expression (p ˂ 0.01 and p ˂ 0.0001, respectively) for both tested drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Hesp proved potential anticancer effects with reducing cancer cell viability in HEp-2 cell line through cell cycle arrest and apoptotic mechanism. It could be used as a prodrug or coadjuvant in treatment of oral cancer.

Graphene Oxide Nanoplatforms to Enhance Cisplatin-Based Drug Delivery in Anticancer Therapy

Chemotherapeutics such as platinum-based drugs are commonly used to treat several cancer types, but unfortunately, their use is limited by several side effects, such as high degradation of the drug before entering the cells, off-target organ toxicity and development of drug resistance. An interesting strategy to overcome such limitations is the development of nanocarriers that could enhance cellular accumulation in target cells in addition to decreasing associated drug toxicity in normal cells. Here, we aim to prepare and characterize a graphene-oxide-based 2D nanoplatform functionalised using highly branched, eight-arm polyethylene-glycol, which, owing to its high number of available functional groups, offers considerable loading capacity over its linear modalities and represents a highly potent nanodelivery platform as a versatile system in cancer therapy. The obtained results show that the GO@PEG carrier allows for the use of lower amounts of Pt drug compared to a Pt-free complex while achieving similar effects. The nanoplatform accomplishes very good cellular proliferation inhibition in osteosarcoma, which is strictly related to increased cellular uptake. This enhanced cellular internalization is also observed in glioblastoma, although it is less pronounced due to differences in metabolism compared to osteosarcoma. The proposed GO@PEG nanoplatform is also promising for the inhibition of migration, especially in highly invasive breast carcinoma (i.e., MDA-MB-231 cell line), neutralizing the metastatic process. The GO@PEG nanoplatform thus represents an interesting tool in cancer treatment that can be specifically tailored to target different cancers.

Hesperidin Inhibits Lung Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo Through PinX1

New drugs or active leads with high efficiency and low toxicity are needed in the treatment of lung cancer. Natural products are an important source of anti-tumor drugs. At present, there are many molecular-targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives for tumor treatment or in clinical trials. Hesperidin is a flavanone isolated from the Rutaceae plant lime Citrus aurantium L. or Citrus sinensis Osbeck. It has been considered to inhibit cancer cell viability in vitro. However, the effect of hesperidin on lung cancer and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that the pinX1 expression level is closely related to overall survival and plays an important role in regulating lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and senescence. More importantly, hesperidin significantly increased pinX1 protein expression, and knockdown pinX1 by its specific siRNA blocked the protective effects of hesperidin. Moreover, we also assessed that hesperidin at 100 mg/kg is safe in vivo. These findings showed that hesperidin is a potential therapeutic candidate for preventing the progression of lung cancer.

Citrus Naringenin Increases Neuron Survival in Optic Nerve Crush Injury Model by Inhibiting JNK-JUN Pathway

Traumatic nerve injury activates cell stress pathways, resulting in neuronal death and loss of vital neural functions. To date, there are no available neuroprotectants for the treatment of traumatic neural injuries. Here, we studied three important flavanones of citrus components, in vitro and in vivo, to reveal their roles in inhibiting the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase)-JUN pathway and their neuroprotective effects in the optic nerve crush injury model, a kind of traumatic nerve injury in the central nervous system. Results showed that both neural injury in vivo and cell stress in vitro activated the JNK-JUN pathway and increased JUN phosphorylation. We also demonstrated that naringenin treatment completely inhibited stress-induced JUN phosphorylation in cultured cells, whereas nobiletin and hesperidin only partially inhibited JUN phosphorylation. Neuroprotection studies in optic nerve crush injury mouse models revealed that naringenin treatment increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells after traumatic optic nerve injury, while the other two components had no neuroprotective effect. The neuroprotection effect of naringenin was due to the inhibition of JUN phosphorylation in crush-injured retinal ganglion cells. Therefore, the citrus component naringenin provides neuroprotection through the inhibition of the JNK-JUN pathway by inhibiting JUN phosphorylation, indicating the potential application of citrus chemical components in the clinical therapy of traumatic optic nerve injuries.

Bioactivity Studies of Hesperidin and XAV939

The present work aimed to evaluate the reactivity of natural bioflavonoid hesperidin (HSP) and synthetically derived XAV939 (XAV) against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), human breast cancer (MDA-MB231) cancer cell lines, and related molecular and pathological profiles. Data recorded revealed that the cytotoxic potential of the tested products was found to be cell type- and concentration-dependent. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of the HSP-XAV mixture against MDA-MB231 was significantly decreased in the case of using the HSP-XAV mixture against the HepG2 cell line. Also, there was a significant upregulation of the phosphotumor suppressor protein gene (P53) and proapoptotic genes such as B-cell lymphoma-associated X-protein (Bax, CK, and Caspase-3), while antiapoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) was significantly downregulated compared with the untreated cell control. The cell cycle analysis demonstrated that DNA accumulation was detected mainly during the G2/M phase of the cell cycle accompanied with the elevated reactive oxygen species level in the treatment of HepG2 and MDA-MB231 cell lines by the HSP-XAV mixture, more significantly than that in the case of cell control. Finally, our finding suggests that both HSP and XAV939 and their mixture may offer an alternative in human liver and breast cancer therapy.

The Use of Bio-Active Compounds of Citrus Fruits as Chemopreventive Agents and Inhibitor of Cancer Cells Viability

Common therapy of cancer, such as chemotherapy, has various side effects for the patients. In recent studies, new therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment are adjuvant therapy, along with a reduction in side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Treatment by herbal medicines may have some advantages over treatment with single purified chemicals, also in terms of side effects, the use of plants in cancer treatment is a more secure method. Citrus fruits are one of the most consumed natural products in the world due to the presence of various metabolites and bioactive compounds, such as phenols, flavonoids and, carotenoids. Bioactive compounds of citrus modulate signaling pathways and interact with signaling molecules such as apoptotic and cell cycle (P53, P21, etc.) and thus have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and oxidative stress. The findings discussed in this review strongly support their potential as anti-cancer agents. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to examine the effects of active compounds in citrus as a therapy agent in cancer treatment.

Artichoke extracts in cancer therapy: do the extraction conditions affect the anticancer activity?

Background

Artichoke is an edible plant that is grown in the Mediterranean region and is known for its antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. Different artichoke extraction methods can impressively affect the nature as well as the yield of the extracted components.

Main body

The different methods of artichoke extraction and the influence of the extraction conditions on the extraction efficiency are summarized herein. In addition, cancer causalities and hallmarks together with the molecular mechanisms of artichoke active molecules in cancer treatment are also discussed. Moreover, a short background is given on the common types of cancer that can be treated with artichoke extracts as well as their pathogenesis. A brief discussion of the previous works devoted to the application of artichoke extracts in the treatment of these cancers is also given.

Conclusion

This review article covers the extraction methods, composition, utilization and applications of artichoke extracts in the treatment of different cancers.

trans-Anethole Abrogates Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis through the Mitochondrial-Mediated Pathway in Human Osteosarcoma Cells

trans-Anethole, the major bioactive component of Illicium verum Hook. commonly known as star anise exhibits various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, insecticidal, and antitumor. Osteosarcoma is an extremely aggressive malignant bone tumor that affects children and young adults and accounts for around 60% of all sarcomas. The study was planned to evaluate the potential of trans-Anethole against Human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. The antiproliferative activity of trans-Anethole was assessed by MTT assay. trans-Anethole exhibited apoptotic cell death as monitored by confocal/electron microscopy and flow cytometry studies. Modulation of gene expression was studied by Western blot and RT-PCR analysis. The present study revealed that trans-Anethole inhibited osteosarcoma proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with a GI₅₀ value of 60.25 µM and showed pro-apoptotic activity as analyzed by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that trans-Anethole induced cell cycle arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase with the generation of reactive oxygen species and reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Immunoblotting results showed the increased expression of caspase-9/-3, p53, and decreased expression of Bcl-xL suggesting the involvement of the p53 and mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. This work provides a rationale that trans-Anethole might be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic/nutraceutical agent for the management of osteosarcoma.Highlightstrans-Anethole inhibited cell growth and caused G₀/G₁ arrest in Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line.trans-Anethole led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane permeability along with ROS generation.trans-Anethole upregulates the expression of p53, Caspase-9/-3, and downregulate Bcl-xL expression.

Construction and Chemical Profile on "Activity Fingerprint" of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium from Different Cultivars Based on HPLC-UV, LC/MS-IT-TOF, and Principal Component Analysis

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), known as Chenpi (CP) in Chinese, is a medicinal food for health and fitness. In order to find out the characteristic activity chemicals distinguishing various cultivars of CRP and provide a reference for effective development of citrus resources, an “activity fingerprint” of CRP from 21 different cultivars was established based on the evaluation of antitussive and expectorant activities. There were 18 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprint, of which 3 flavonoid glycosides and 14 polymethoxyflavonoids (PMFs) were identified by LC/MS-IT-TOF. Furthermore, five characteristic chemicals were determined and similarity calculation with principal component analysis (PCA) was combined together to compare the similarity and difference among various cultivars. The results showed that some other cultivars were also similar to C. reticulata “Chachi” except for C. reticulata “Tangerina” and C. reticulata “Dahongpao” recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Most importantly, the peels of C. reticulata “Shiyueju,” C. reticulata “Ponkan,” C. reticulata “Tribute,” and C. reticulata “Bayueju,” traditionally rarely used for medicinal food, were highly similar to that of C. reticulata “Chachi” and rich in bioactive flavonoids, which can be considered the effective medicinal resources of CRP.

Molecular mechanisms of action of hesperidin in cancer: Recent trends and advancements

Hesperidin belongs to flavanones class of flavonoids and is known to possess broad-spectrum applicability to prevent dreadful diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and cancer. The reported anticancer effects of hesperidin have been found to be associated with its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Hesperidin interacts with numerous recognized cellular targets and inhibits cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In addition, evidence has suggested its promising role in inhibiting tumor cell metastasis, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance. The present mini-review highlights the ongoing development to identify hesperidin targets in cancer. Furthermore, the potential of nano technology-based hesperidin combinations and delivery systems will also be discussed. Overall, this review highlights all the possible molecular targets affected by hesperidin in tumor cells on a single platform.

Impact statement

Experimental findings from numerous studies have demonstrated the anticancer effects of hesperidin (Hesp) to be associated with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities along with its potential role in inhibiting the tumor cell metastasis and angiogenesis. Additionally, Hesp can also reverse drug resistance of cancer cells, which make it a promising candidate to be used in combination with existing anti-cancer drugs. This review will be helpful for upcoming researchers and scientific community to find out complete capsular package about cancer drug targets of Hesp and its role in modulating various important hallmarks of cancer.

Citrus unshiu peel suppress the metastatic potential of murine melanoma B16F10 cells in vitro and in vivo

The peel of Citrus unshiu Marcow. fruits (CU) has long been used as a traditional medicine that has therapeutic effects against pathogenic diseases, including asthma, vomiting, dyspepsia, blood circulation disorders, and various types of cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of CU peel on metastatic melanoma, a highly aggressive skin cancer, in B16F10 melanoma cells, and in B16F10 cells inoculated‐C57BL/6 mice. Our results show that ethanol extracts of CU (EECU) inhibited cell growth and increased the apoptotic cells in B16F10 cells. EECU also stimulated the induction of mitochondria‐mediated intrinsic pathway, with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and increased generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, EECU suppressed the migration, invasion, and colony formation of B16F10 cells. In addition, the oral administration of EECU reduced serum lactate dehydrogenase activity without weight loss, hepatotoxicity, nor nephrotoxicity in B16F10 cell‐inoculated mice. Moreover, EECU markedly suppressed lung hypertrophy, the number and expression of metastatic tumor nodules, and the expression of inflammatory tumor necrosis factor‐alpha in lung tissue. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the inhibitory effect of EECU on the metastasis of melanoma indicates that it may be regarded as a potential therapeutic herbal drug for melanoma.

Do Different Species of Sargassum in Haizao Yuhu Decoction Cause Different Effects in a Rat Goiter Model?

Sargassum species combined with Glycyrrhiza uralensis is a famous herbal pair in traditional Chinese medicine, as one of the so-called “eighteen antagonistic medicaments.” In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, two different species of Sargassum, Sargassum pallidum and Sargassum fusiforme, are recorded but they are not clearly differentiated in clinical use. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the two species of Sargassum could result in different effects when combined with G. uralensis in Haizao Yuhu Decoction (HYD), which is used for treating thyroid-related diseases, especially goiter. HYD containing S. pallidum or S. fusiforme was administered to rats with propylthiouracil-induced goiter. After 4 weeks, pathological changes in the thyroid tissue and the relative thyroid weight indicated that HYD containing S. pallidum or S. fusiforme protected thyroid tissues from propylthiouracil damage. Neither species increased the propylthiouracil-induced decrease in serum levels of thyroid hormones. However, there were some differences in their actions, and only HYD containing S. fusiforme abated the propylthiouracil-induced elevation of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and activated thyroglobulin mRNA expression.