Hepatoprotective and Cytotoxic Activities of Abietic Acid from Isodon wightii (Bentham) H. Hara

Gut Microbiota and Metabolome Response of Decaisnea insignis Seed Oil on Metabolism Disorder Induced by Excess Alcohol Consumption

This study investigated the modulatory effects of Decaisnea insignis seed oil (DISO), which was rich in palmitoleic acid (55.25%), palmitic acid (12.25%), and oleic acid (28.74%), on alcohol-induced metabolism disorder in mice. Fifty mice were orally administered with 38% alcohol (0.4 mL/day) and without or with DISO (3, 6, and 12 g/kg) for consecutive 12 weeks. DISO inhibited the alcohol-induced weight loss and liver function abnormality (p < 0.01) and shifted the profiles of cecal microbiome: elevating the abundance of Lactobacillus, Ruminoccoceae_UCG_004 (p < 0.05) and decreasing abundance of Parabacteroides (p < 0.05). This treatment also regulated metabolome response of amino acid and lipid metabolism in cecal content: upregulating 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (p < 0.05), 6-hydroxynicotinic acid, 5-methoxytryptamine, nicotinamide, and nicotinic acid (p < 0.1) and downregulating androsterone, tryptophan, and indole-3-acetamide (p < 0.05). DISO protected against alcoholic liver injury and gut microbiota dysbiosis by enriching the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, which was positively associated with the improvement of intestinal permeability and tryptophan metabolism.

14-Deoxycoleon U-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest in lung adenocarcinoma

Objective

14-Deoxycoleon U is a natural abietane-type diterpene and exerts an inhibitory effect on tumor cells proliferation, which suggests that 14-Deoxycoleon U may be a potent anti-cancerous lead compound for lung cancer treatment. This study was to evaluate potential of 14-Deoxycoleon U to treat lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

In the present study, the cell viability and apoptosis morphology of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 and LLC cells were explored using cell counting kit-8 assay and Hoechst 33258 staining. Then, the protein expressions about apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy and cell cycle were measured using Western blot. The autophagosome formation of 14-Deoxycoleon U-treated A549 cells was visualized using a confocal microscopy. LLC lung adenocarcinoma model was established.

Results

The results indicated that 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly inhibited A549 and LLC cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner via caspase-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, apoptosis of both cells was mediated by 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced ER stress. In addition, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced A549 and LLC cell autophagy, thus promoting their death. Moreover, 14-Deoxycoleon U-induced cell cycle arrest in both cells via inhibition of cyclin D3, cyclin-dependent kinase 6, CDC2 and up-regulation of p21. In vivo results showed that administration of 14-Deoxycoleon U significantly suppressed LLC growth and adverse effects of 14-Deoxycoleon U on organs might be lower than of adriamycin.

Conclusion

Overall, our results demonstrated that 14-Deoxycoleon U represses in vitro and in vivo growth of lung adenocarcinoma through ER stress-mediated apoptosis accompanied by autophagy and cell cycle arrest.

Characterization and hepatoprotective evaluation of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes from the aerial parts of Juniperus sabina L

Previously, we reported on the hepatoprotective activity of the total extract of Juniperus sabina L. against CCl₄ induced liver toxicity in experimental animals. Biologically directed phytochemical study was conducted to identify the active compounds. Male Wistar rats and the standard drug silymarin were used in the study. Hepatoprotective activity was evaluated via serum biochemical parameters such as aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin. Tissue parameters including non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH), malonaldehyde (MDA) and total protein (TP) were also determined. Histopathological study was conducted utilizing Mayer's hematoxylin stain, Periodic Acid Schiff - Hematoxylin (PAS-H) and Masson trichrome technique on light microscope. Electron microscope images were also generated for the study. The activity of the total extract was trapped to the petroleum ether fraction after liquid-liquid fractionation where 51% reduction in the levels of AST, bilirubin and 44% in the levels of ALT were observed. Chromatographic purification of the petroleum ether fraction resulted in the isolation of nine compounds namely: trans-calamenene (1), cadalene (cadalin) (2), epi-cubenol (3), manool (4), calamenene-10β-ol (5), calamenene-10α-ol (6), 4-epi-abietic acid (7), sandaracopimaric acid (8) and isopimaric acid (9). Compounds 1-3, 5 and 6 are belonging to cadinane sesquiterepenes, while compounds 4, 7-9 were of diterpene skeleton. The major compounds were tested for their hepatoprotective effect. Compounds 3 showed marked improvement in the levels of AST and ALT, compound 4 was effective in improving the levels of AST, ALT, GGT, ALP and bilirubin, while compound 7 showed significant improvement in GGT, ALP and bilirubin levels.

Hepatoprotective and Cytotoxic Activities of Abietic Acid from Isodon wightii (Bentham) H. Hara

Isodon (Lamiaceae) is a known source of bioactive terpenoids. Diterpenoids isolated from Isodon wightii (Bentham) H. Hara showed antibacterial, antiacetylcholinesterase, antioxidant, anticancer, and anticarcinogenic activities, etc., Hepatoprotective activity of ABA against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced liver injury in BALB/c mice was studied. Cytotoxic activity of ABA was tested against cervical cancer cells (HeLa) using MTT assay followed by propidium iodide (PI) staining to identify apoptosis. Histopathological analysis revealed that 1.5 ॖg/mL LPS induced liver damage was attenuated by ABA in a dose dependent manner. ABA showed cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 176.28 ± 0.02 ॖg/mL and PI staining of treated cells showed apoptosis. This study proves that ABA would be a promising natural compound for herbal drug preparation.

SUMMARY

In the present study, abietic acid isolated from I. wightii had potent hepatoprotective effect on LPS induced liver damage in BALB/c mice. Abietic acid also showed cytotoxic activity on HeLa cells followed by apoptosis induction confirmed by PI staining. Abbreviation Used: ABA: Abietic acid; LPS: Lipopolysacharride; PBS: Phosphate buffer saline; PI: Propidium iodide; NMR: Nuclear magnetic resonance; COSY: Correlation spectroscopy; HSQC: Heteronuclear single quantum correlation; HMBC: Heteronuclear multi - bond correlation; MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide.