Antitumor Effect and Mechanism of Rutin： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The morbidity and mortality of cancer have been on the rise， making it atop the list of human health threats. It has been a conundrum of global magnitude. As the side effects of chemotherapeutics seriously affect the life quality of cancer patients， it is urgent to find effective anti-cancer drugs with small toxic and side effects. In recent years， the anti-cancer effects of traditional Chinese medicine have attracted the interest of scholars. Owing to the improvement of medical research， an increasing number of anti-cancer components with small toxic and side effects have been extracted from traditional Chinese medicine. Rutin， a unique flavonoid in Chinese medicinals and many plants， proves to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer， colon cancer， lung cancer， and prostate cancer cells. In addition， rutin alone or in combination with other therapeutic drugs can regulate a variety of signaling pathways and signal mediators of inflammation， apoptosis， autophagy， and angiogenesis， thereby suppressing tumor progression. Moreover， it can also alleviate the drug resistance of tumors and the side effect of chemotherapeutics. Nevertheless， it is limited by the low bioavailability and low solubility， to which nano delivery system turns to be a solution. At the moment， the anti-cancer potential of rutin and the molecular targets of it against various cancers have not been summarized and comprehensively analyzed. Therefore， the authors retrieved articles on the anti-cancer effects of rutin in recent years， summed up the mechanisms and molecular targets， and discussed relevant drug delivery systems and the safety， aiming at laying a theoretical foundation for further development and application of the flavonoid.

Preparation and anticancer effect of natural active compound usenamine nano-liposomes / 中草药

Objective To study the antitumor effect of natural active compound usenamine (C18H17NO6, 6-acety1-2- (1-amino-ethylidene)-7,9-dihydroxy-8,9b-dimethy1-9bH-dibenzofuran-1,3-dione) nano-liposomes in vitro and in vivo. Methods Nano-liposomes were prepared by thin film dispersion-ultrasonic method. The drug loading of nano-liposomes was determined by HPLC. The cancer cells were cultured in vitro, and the absorbance values were measured by MTT method to evaluate the anticancer effect in vitro. A nude mouse xenograft model was established to observe the growth inhibitory effect of drug-loaded nano-liposomes on tumor growth in nude mice. Results The drug loading of drug-loaded nano-liposomes was 1.26 mg/mL. The IC50 of the drug-loaded nano-liposomes in the XWLC-05, HCT-116, and HepG2 cells were 2.48 μg/mL, 0.86 μg/mL, and 1.86 μg/mL, respectively, and the inhibition rates of XWLC-05, HCT-116, and HepG2 cells administered at a dose of 4 μg/mL were 85.59%, 99.95%, and 96.91%, respectively (P < 0.01). The minimum relative tumor proliferation rate of nude mice was 50.98%, and usenamine nano-liposomes had antitumor effect in vivo. Conclusion The natural active compound usenamine can be prepared as a nano-liposome.In vitro cell experiments showed that usenamine nano-liposomes had a dose-effect relationship with cancer cells. In vivo experiments in nude mice found that drug-loaded nano-liposomes had inhibitory effect on tumors.

Decursin induces apoptosis in glioblastoma cells, but not in glial cells via a mitochondria-related caspase pathway

Decursin is a major biological active component of Angelica gigas Nakai and is known to induce apoptosis of metastatic prostatic cancer cells. Recently, other reports have been commissioned to examine the anticancer activities of this plant. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity and related mechanism of action of decursin against glioblastoma cell line. Decursin demonstrated cytotoxic effects on U87 and C6 glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner but not in primary glial cells. Additionally, decursin increased apoptotic bodies and phosphorylated JNK and p38 in U87 cells. Decursin also down-regulated Bcl-2 as well as cell cycle dependent proteins, CDK-4 and cyclin D1. Furthermore, decursin-induced apoptosis was dependent on the caspase activation in U87 cells. Taken together, our data provide the evidence that decursin induces apoptosis in glioblastoma cells, making it a potential candidate as a chemotherapeutic drug against brain tumor.

Anti-cancer effect of ethylacetate fraction from Orostachys japonicus on HT-29 human colon cancer cells by induction of apoptosis through caspase-dependent signaling pathway

Objective:To investigate the anti-colon cancer effects of ethylacetate fraction from Orostachys japonicus (O. japonicus) on HT-29 cancer cells.Methods:The viability of HT-29 cells was assayed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) method. Apoptosis induction and cell cycle inhibition were confirmed by fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining using flow cytometry. Morphological changes in the nucleus were observed, using a fluorescence microscope with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) nuclear staining. The expression levels of the upstream and downstream proteins involved in the anti-cancer mechanism were confirmed by Western blotting.Results:After treating HT-29 cells with different concentrations of ethylacetate fraction from O. japonicus, the viability of cells decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, while apoptosis induction and apoptotic body formation increased. Cell cycle analysis showed that the arrest occurred at the sub-GConclusions:Combining the above results, it is thought that the survival of HT-29 cells is suppressed by ethylacetate fraction from O. japonicus through mitochondrial regulation-induced caspase cascade activation, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Anti-cancer effect of ethylacetate fraction from Orostachys japonicus on HT-29 human colon cancer cells by induction of apoptosis through caspase-dependent signaling pathway

Objective: To investigate the anti-colon cancer effects of ethylacetate fraction from Orostachys japonicus (O. japonicus) on HT-29 cancer cells. Methods: The viability of HT-29 cells was assayed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) method. Apoptosis induction and cell cycle inhibition were confirmed by fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining using flow cytometry. Morphological changes in the nucleus were observed, using a fluorescence microscope with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) nuclear staining. The expression levels of the upstream and downstream proteins involved in the anti-cancer mechanism were confirmed by Western blotting. Results: After treating HT-29 cells with different concentrations of ethylacetate fraction from O. japonicus, the viability of cells decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, while apoptosis induction and apoptotic body formation increased. Cell cycle analysis showed that the arrest occurred at the sub-G

Bitter melon: a panacea for inflammation and cancer / 中国天然药物

Nature is a rich source of medicinal plants and their products that are useful for treatment of various diseases and disorders. Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is one of such plants known for its biological activities used in traditional system of medicines. This plant is cultivated in all over the world, including tropical areas of Asia, Amazon, east Africa, and the Caribbean and used as a vegetable as well as folk medicine. All parts of the plant, including the fruit, are commonly consumed and cooked with different vegetables, stir-fried, stuffed or used in small quantities in soups or beans to give a slightly bitter flavor and taste. The plant is reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-obesity, and immunomodulatory activities. The plant extract inhibits cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy and inhibiting cancer stem cells. The plant is rich in bioactive chemical constituents like cucurbitane type triterpenoids, triterpene glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, fatty acids, and proteins. Some of the isolated compounds (Kuguacin J, Karaviloside XI, Kuguaglycoside C, Momordicoside Q-U, Charantin, α-eleostearic acid) and proteins (α-Momorcharin, RNase MC2, MAP30) possess potent biological activity. In the present review, we are summarizing the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities of Momordica charantia along with a short account of important chemical constituents, providing a basis for establishing detail biological activities of the plant and developing novel drug molecules based on the active chemical constituents.

Anticancer effects of crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the anti-cancer effects of crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc and its possible molecular mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transonic alcohol-chloroform extraction method was used to extract toosendanin from the bark of Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc, and the content of toosendanin in the crude extract was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Anti-cancer effects of crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc were investigated in in vivo and in vitro studies. In the in vitro experiment, human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines SMMC-7721 and Hep3B were co-incubated with toosendanin crude extract of different concentrations, respectively. In the in vivo experiment, BALB/c mice were subcutaneously inoculated with mouse hepatocellular carcinoma H22 cells and treated with crude extract.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HPLC revealed the content of toosendanin was about 15%. Crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc inhibited cancer cells growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50, 72 h) was 0.6 mg/L for SMMC-7721 cells and 0.8 mg/L for Hep3B cells. Both high-dose [0.69 mg/(kg d)] and low-dose [0.138 mg/(kg d)] crude extract could markedly suppress cancer growth, and the inhibition rate was greater than 50%. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed necrotic area in cancers and transmission electron microscopy displayed necrotic and apoptotic cancer cells with apoptotic bodies. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of Bax and Fas increased and the expression of Bcl-2 reduced.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Toosendanin extract has potent anti-cancer effects via suppressing proliferation and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism of apoptosis involves in mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway.</p>

4-(Tert-butyl)-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol induces pro-apoptotic activity

Previously, we found that KTH-13 isolated from the butanol fraction of Cordyceps bassiana (Cb-BF) displayed anti-cancer activity. To improve its antiproliferative activity and production yield, we employed a total synthetic approach and derivatized KTH-13 to obtain chemical analogs. In this study, one KTH-13 derivative, 4-(tert-butyl)-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol (KTH-13-t-Bu), was selected to test its anti-cancer activity. KTH-13-t-Bu diminished the proliferation of C6 glioma, MDA-MB-231, LoVo, and HCT-15 cells. KTH-13-t-Bu induced morphological changes in C6 glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner. KTH-13-t-Bu also increased the level of early apoptotic cells stained with annexin V-FITC. Furthermore, KTH-13-t-Bu increased the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and -9. In contrast, KTH-13-t-Bu upregulated the levels of pro- and cleaved forms of caspase-3, -8, and -9 and Bcl-2. Phospho-STAT3, phospho-Src, and phospho-AKT levels were also diminished by KTH13-t-Bu treatment. Therefore, these results strongly suggest that KTH-13-t-Bu can be considered a novel anti-cancer drug displaying pro-apoptotic activity.

Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Activities of 4-Methyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol in Cancer Cells

It has been found that 4-isopropyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol (KTH-13), a novel compound isolated from Cordyceps bassiana, is able to suppress tumor cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. To mass-produce this compound, we established a total synthesis method. Using those conditions, we further synthesized various analogs with structural similarity to KTH-13. In this study, we aimed to test their anti-cancer activity by measuring anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities. Of 8 compounds tested, 4-methyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol (KTH-13-Me) exhibited the strongest anti-proliferative activity toward MDA-MB 231 cells. KTH-13-Me also similarly suppressed the survival of various cancer cell lines, including C6 glioma, HCT-15, and LoVo cells. Treatment of KTH-13-Me induced several apoptotic signs in C6 glioma cells, such as morphological changes, induction of apoptotic bodies, and nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation. Concordantly, early-apoptotic cells were also identified by staining with FITC-Annexin V/PI. Moreover, KTH-13-Me highly enhanced the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and decreased the protein level of Bcl-2. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of Src and STAT3 were diminished in KTH-13-Me-treated C6 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that KTH-13-Me can be developed as a novel anti-cancer drug capable of blocking proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and blocking cell survival signaling in cancer cells.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of DMAB-modified PLGA nanoparticles loading tetrandrine / 中草药

Objective: The study aims at preparing the didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DMAB)-modified PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) loading tetrandrine (Tet) (DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs) and investigating the preparation process, physicochemical characterization, in vitro cytotoxicity, and particle cellular uptake. Methods: DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs were prepared by the emulsion solvent diffusion method and the preparation process was optimized with the uniform design experiment. The drug loading, entrapment efficiency (EE), and in vitro drug release were studied to evaluate the drug-loading property. The in vitro cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cell A549 was measured by the standard MTT assay. The particles cellular uptake in A549 was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs in the mean size of (205.40±2.66) nm with spherical shape and showed positive surface charge. Drug loading and EE were (2.130±0.035)% and (50.780±3.253)%, respectively. DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs could retard drug release in pH 7.4 release media and the cumulative release was up to 64.56% over 48 h. And DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs showed the significant dose-and time-dependent cytotoxicity of Tet in vitro and well cellular uptake by A549. Conclusion: DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs shows the good EE, uniform particle size, and could retard drug release in vitro. And DMAB-Tet-PLGA-NPs shows the significant cytotoxicity in vitro and well cellular uptake by A549.

Pro-Apoptotic Activity of 4-Isopropyl-2-(1-Phenylethyl) Aniline Isolated from Cordyceps bassiana

Cordyceps species including Cordyceps bassiana are a notable anti-cancer dietary supplement. Previously, we identified several compounds with anti-cancer activity from the butanol fraction (Cb-BF) of Cordyceps bassiana. To expand the structural value of Cb-BF-derived anti-cancer drugs, we employed various chemical moieties to produce a novel Cb-BF-derived chemical derivative, KTH-13-amine-monophenyl [4-isopropyl-2-(1-phenylethyl) aniline (KTH-13-AMP)], which we tested for anti-cancer activity. KTH-13-AMP suppressed the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, HeLa, and C6 glioma cells. KTH-13-AMP also dose-dependently induced morphological changes in C6 glioma cells and time-dependently increased the level of early apoptotic cells stained with annexin V-FITC. Furthermore, the levels of the active full-length forms of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased. In contrast, the levels of total forms of caspases-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and Bcl-2 were decreased in KTH-13-AMP treated-cells. We also confirmed that the phosphorylation of STAT3, Src, and PI3K/p85, which is linked to cell survival, was diminished by treatment with KTH-13-AMP. Therefore, these results strongly suggest that this compound can be used to guide the development of an anti-cancer drug or serve as a lead compound in forming another strong anti-proliferative agent.

Advance in anti-cancer lead-compounds derived from natural products / 药学实践杂志

Cancer is a serious threat to human life and health .Therefore, there is an emergent need to develop novel anti-cancer agents with new structural type , new mechanism of action and higher efficacy .Natural products had played a key role in the dis-covery of anticancer agents .The anti-cancer activity , mechanism of action , structure and activity relationship of several lead-com-pounds which were derived from natural products were summarized in this review .

GC-MS analysis of ethanolic extract of Canthium parviflorum Lamk Leaf.

Canthium parviflorum Lamk( Rubiaceae) is a shrubby and woody plant found throughout the Western Ghats. Canthium parviflorum have reported to possess a number of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, wound healing activity and antitumor acitivity. D-mannitol, phenolic acid, phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, proteins were found from Canthium parviflorum. The current study was carried out to analyze the active constituents present in the leaf of Canthium parviflorum. Twenty two constituents in ethanolic extracts were identified by GC-MS analysis. D-Mannitol and Squalene which was present in this plant considered to have anticancer activity.

Research progress of acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid on its anti-cancer activity / 肿瘤研究与临床

Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) is one of the triterpenes in the gum resin of the Boswellia serrata and Boswellia carterii,also known as Salai guggal or Indian frankincense.There has been growing interst in anti-tumor activity of AKBA.This review will summarize the latest advances of AKBA on anti-tumor activity for the better understanding of this compound and its further applications.

Search for cytotoxic agents in multiple Laurencia complex seaweed species (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) harvested from the Atlantic Ocean with emphasis on the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo

The development of new anti-cancer drugs of algal origin represents one of the least explored frontiers in medicinal chemistry. In this regard, the diversity of micro- and macroalgae found in Brazilian coastal waters can be viewed as a largely untapped natural resource. In this report, we describe a comparative study on the cytotoxic properties of extracts obtained from the Laurencia complex: Laurencia aldingensis, L. catarinensis, L. dendroidea, L. intricata, L. translucida, L. sp, and Palisada flagellifera. All of these species were collected in the coastal waters of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Four out of the twelve samples initially investigated were found to show significant levels of toxicity towards a model tumor cell line (human uterine sarcoma, MES-SA). The highest levels of cytotoxicity were typically associated with non-polar (hexane) algal extracts, while the lowest levels of cytotoxicity were found with the corresponding polar (methanol) extracts. In this report, we also describe a biological model currently in development that will not only facilitate the search for new anti-cancer drug candidates of algal origin, but also permit the identification of compounds capable of inducing the destruction of multi-drug resistant tumors with greater efficiency than the pharmaceuticals currently in clinical use.

Ethanol Extracts of Angelica decursiva Induces Apoptosis in Human Oral Cancer Cells

Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, its anti-cancer properties have not yet been well defined. In our current study, we report the cytotoxic activity and the mechanism of cell death induced by ethanol extracts of Angelica decursiva (EEAD) against the human oral cancer cell line, KB. Treatment of KB cells with EEAD induced apoptotic cell death in both a dose- and time-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay and DNA fragmentation. However, no cytotoxic effects of EEAD against human normal oral keratinocytes (HNOK) were evident. By western blot analysis, we found that apoptosis in KB cells is associated with a decrease in procaspase-7 and -9. In addition, the activation of caspase-7 was detectable in living KB cells by fluorescence microscopy. These results suggest that EEAD exhibits anti-cancer activity in KB cells via apoptosis and thus has potential as an anticancer agent in future drug development strategies.

Diterpenes from Tripterygium wilfordii and their anti-cancer activities / 中草药

Objective To study the anti-cancer constituents from Tripterygium wilfordii. Methods Chemical constituents were isolated by repeated column chromatography (silica gel, Toyopearl HW-40 C and preparative HPLC), their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, and the anti-cancer activity was screened by MTT method. Results Five diterpenes, 3-epi-triptobenzene B (Ⅰ), 3?, 14-dihydroxy-abieta-8, 11, 13-triene (triptobenzene B,Ⅱ), wilforol E (Ⅲ), triptohairic acid (Ⅳ), and 11-hydroxy-14-methoxy-18(4→3)-abeo-abietan-3, 8, 11, 13-tetraen-18-oic-acid (hypoglic acid, Ⅴ) were isolated from T. wilfordii. Conclusion Compound Ⅰ is a new compound named as triptobenzene L, compound Ⅳ is isolated for the first time. The compounds Ⅰ-Ⅴ show the positive anti-cancer effects on HeLa and L929 cell lines.