Cytotoxic activity of sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells.

The benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine has been studied for its antiproliferative activity in many cell types. Almost nothing however, is known about the cytotoxic effects of dihydrosanguinarine, a metabolite of sanguinarine. We compared the cytotoxicity of sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine in human leukemia HL-60 cells. Sanguinarine produced a dose-dependent decline in cell viability with IC(50) (inhibitor concentration required for 50% inhibition of cell viability) of 0.9 microM as determined by MTT assay after 4h exposure. Dihydrosanguinarine showed much less cytotoxicity than sanguinarine: at the highest concentration tested (20 microM) and 24h exposure, dihydrosanguinarine decreased viability only to 52%. Cytotoxic effects of both alkaloids were accompanied by activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway since we observed the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, induction of caspase-9 and -3 activities, the appearance of sub-G(1) DNA and loss of plasma membrane asymmetry. This aside, sanguinarine also increased the activity of caspase-8. As shown by flow cytometry using annexin V/propidium iodide staining, 0.5 microM sanguinarine induced apoptosis while 1-4 microM sanguinarine caused necrotic cell death. In contrast, dihydrosanguinarine at concentrations from 5 microM induced primarily necrosis, whereas apoptosis occurred at 10 microM and above. We conclude that both alkaloids may cause, depending on the alkaloid concentration, both necrosis and apoptosis of HL-60 cells.

Natural feed additive of Macleaya cordata: safety assessment in rats a 90-day feeding experiment.

Macleaya cordata (Willd.) (Papaveraceae) is used as an active component in the natural feed additive Sangrovit. Sangrovit contains mixture of the intact aerial parts and the fraction of quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids from M. cordata (FQBA). In a 90-day pilot toxicity trial, Sangrovit and the FQBA were tested for safety. Male Wistar rats were fed for 90 days with 100, 7000 or 14000mg of Sangrovit or 600mg of FQBA in 1kg of feed. Body and organ weights, clinical chemistry and hematology markers, oxidative stress parameters, morphological structure of tongue, liver, ileum, kidney and heart samples, and total cytochrome P450 in liver were monitored. The results showed no statistically significant alterations in any parameter between control and treated animals, except for the group treated with 14000ppm Sangrovit that resulted in elevation of reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity in liver.

The toxicity and pharmacokinetics of dihydrosanguinarine in rat: a pilot study.

The quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine (SG) is the main component of Sangrovit, a natural livestock feed additive. Dihydrosanguinarine (DHSG) has recently been identified as a SG metabolite in rat. The conversion of SG to DHSG is a likely elimination pathway of SG in mammals. This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of DHSG in male Wistar rats at concentrations of 100 and 500 ppm DHSG in feed for 90 days (average doses of 14 and 58 mg DHSG/kg body weight/day). No significant alterations in body or organ weights, macroscopic details of organs, histopathology of liver, ileum, kidneys, tongue, heart or gingiva, clinical chemistry or hematology markers in blood in the DHSG-treated animals were found compared to controls. No lymphocyte DNA damage by Comet assay, formation of DNA adducts in liver by 32P-postlabeling, modulation of cytochrome P450 1A1/2 or changes in oxidative stress parameters were found. Thus, repeated dosing of DHSG for 90 days at up to 500 ppm in the diet (i.e. approximately 58 mg/kg/day) showed no evidence of toxicity in contrast to results published in the literature. In parallel, DHSG pharmacokinetics was studied in rat after oral doses 9.1 or 91 mg/kg body weight. The results showed that DHSG undergoes enterohepatic cycling with maximum concentration in plasma at the first or second hour following application. DHSG is cleared from the body relatively quickly (its plasma levels drop to zero after 12 or 18 h, respectively).

Chelerythrine and dihydrochelerythrine induce G1 phase arrest and bimodal cell death in human leukemia HL-60 cells.

A quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid chelerythrine displays a wide range of biological activities including cytotoxicity to normal and cancer cells. In contrast, less is known about the biological activity of dihydrochelerythrine, a product of chelerythrine reduction. We examined the cytotoxicity of chelerythrine and dihydrochelerythrine in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. After 4h of treatment, chelerythrine induced a dose-dependent decrease in the cell viability with IC50 of 2.6 microM as shown by MTT reduction assay. Dihydrochelerythrine appeared to be less cytotoxic since the viability of cells exposed to 20 microM dihydrochelerythrine for 24h was reduced only to 53%. Decrease in the viability induced by both alkaloids was accompanied by apoptotic events including the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-9 and -3, and appearance of cells with sub-G1 DNA. Moreover, chelerythrine, but not dihydrochelerythrine, elevated the activity of caspase-8. A dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and necrosis by chelerythrine and dihydrochelerythrine was confirmed by annexin V/propidium iodide dual staining flow cytometry. Besides, both alkaloids were found to induce accumulation of HL-60 cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle. We conclude that both chelerythrine and dihydrochelerythrine affect cell cycle distribution, activate mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and induce apoptosis and necrosis in HL-60 cells.

A liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric evidence of dihydrosanguinarine as a first metabolite of sanguinarine transformation in rat.

Adult rats were orally administered with a single dose of sanguinarine (10 mg SA per 1 kg body weight) in 1.0 ml water. In the plasma and the liver, dihydrosanguinarine (DHSA) was identified as a SA metabolite by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS). Significantly higher levels of DHSA were found in both the plasma and the liver in comparison with those of SA. SA and DHSA were not detected in the urine. The formation of DHSA might be the first step of SA detoxification in the organism and its subsequent elimination in phase II reactions. Benz[c]acridine (BCA), in the literature cited SA metabolite, was found neither in urine nor in plasma and liver.

Study of the inhibition of alpha-amylase by the benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids sanguinarine and chelerythrine.

Inhibition of porcine pancreas and human saliva alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) by sanguinarine and chelerythrine was studied. The inhibition of alpha-amylase was assayed using a biosensor method which utilises a flow system equipped with a peroxide electrode. 250 microM sanguinarine and 250 microM chelerythrine cause complete inhibition of 1.9 nkat alpha-amylase from porcine pancreas. The same concentration of sanguinarine and chelerythrine caused 23.9% and 7.5% inhibition, respectively, of 1.9 nkat alpha-amylase from human saliva. Mixed type and partially reversible inhibition was found for both alpha-amylases treated with either alkaloid.

Capillary zone electrophoretic studies of interactions of some quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids with DNA constituents and DNA.

Capillary zone electrophoresis was applied for the investigation of interactions of some quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, namely sanguinarine, chelerythrine, berberine, and jatrorrhizine, with DNA constituents and with DNA. None of these alkaloids attach covalently to nucleotides or to the whole DNA under physiological conditions. The interaction with DNA constituents is a noncovalent complexation based on weak intermolecular forces. Electrostatic attraction participates in the interaction but other types of intermolecular forces are involved as well. Cations were identified as the most probable interacting forms of the alkaloids. The interaction with compounds derived from purine was always stronger than those derived from pyrimidine. All alkaloids behaved analogously and similarly to ethidium bromide, the classic DNA intercalator. Stability constants K (in l.mol(-1)) for sanguinarine and chelerythrine in phosphate buffer of pH 7.4 (I(S) = 30 mM) ranged from tens to hundreds.

Macleya cordata and Prunella vulgaris in oral hygiene products - their efficacy in the control of gingivitis.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed to investigate the effectiveness of a herbal-based dentifrice in the control of gingivitis. Forty volunteers completed the 84-day study. All subjects were balanced for parameters measured - plaque index (PI), community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) and papillary bleeding index (PBI). The dentifrice was effective in reducing symptoms of gingivitis as evaluated by the CPITN and PBI indexes.

Sanguinarine and chelerythrine: assessment of safety on pigs in ninety days feeding experiment.

Sanguinaria canadesis, Chelidonium majus and Macleya cordata have been used for centuries as alternative medicines. Currently the extracts from these medicinal plants are components of veterinary and human phytopreparations, and of oral-hygiene agents. Sanguinarine and chelerythrine (SA/CHE) are biologically active components of these extracts. They display distinct antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, but, on the other hand, they have been reported as having adverse effects - genotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. This paper is aimed at evaluation of the effects of daily administration of the extract from Macleya cordata (2 mg and 100 mg in 1 kg feed, sanguinarine:chelerythrine 3:1) in the diet on the health status of swine. After 90-day administration, alkaloids were retained to a different extent in tissues. The highest SA/CHE retention was detected in the gingiva (0.55 microg/g) and liver (0.15 microg/g), no SA/CHE were detected in muscles. Plasma SA levels attained 0.11 microg/ml. Treated animals did not display any results of hematological, biochemical or histological assay different from controls. A (32)P-postlabeling assay proved that no DNA-adducts with SA/CHE were detected in pig livers. We did not observe any symptom linked to epidemic dropsy syndrome often attributed to sanguinarine. In conclusion, an average daily oral dose of alkaloids up to 5 mg per 1 kg animal body weight proved to be safe.

Biological activities of Prunella vulgaris extract.

The organic fraction (OF; 25.7% w/w of rosmarinic acid) of Prunella vulgaris (total extract) was found to exhibit the following: scavenging activity on diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), inhibition of in vitro human LDL Cu(II)-mediated oxidation, protection of rat mitochondria and rat hepatocytes exposed to either tert-butyl hydroperoxide, or to Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions. OF also showed a potential to inhibit rat erythrocyte haemolysis and it reduced the production of LTB(4) in bovine PMNL generated by the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. Other observations included antiproliferative effects against HaCaT cells and mouse epidermal fibroblasts and a moderate OF antimicrobial activity on gram-positive bacteria. Rosmarinic, caffeic and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactic acids exhibited less potent activity than the plant extract in all bioassays. The antioxidative, antimicrobial, together with antiviral effects offer good prospects for the medicinal applications of P. vulgaris.

Metal-chelating properties, electrochemical behavior, scavenging and cytoprotective activities of six natural phenolics.

Chelation, electrochemical, antioxidant and cytoprotective properties of six phenolics - cynarin and caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic, protocatechuic and rosmarinic acids were studied on the following models: (i) chelation of transition metals, (ii) quenching of the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), (iii) determination of half-wave potential, (iv) erythrocytes or mitochondrial membranes damaged by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBH) and (v) a primary culture of rat hepatocytes intoxicated by Cu(II) and Fe(III) or tBH. All phenolics suppressed cell membrane damage induced by transition metals or tBH. The protectivity correlated with their capacity to bind transition metals, to scavenge DPPH radical and with the value of half-wave potentials. In in vitro assays, the most promising was rosmarinic acid.

Quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids as inhibitors of aminopeptidase N and dipeptidyl peptidase IV.

Chelerythrine, sanguinarine and an alkaloid extract from Macleaya cordata--sanguiritrin--were found to be inhibitors of aminopeptidase A and dipeptidyl peptidase IV, while fagaronine inhibited dipeptidyl peptidase IV only. At 50 microM, chelerythrine, sanguinarine and sanguiritrin inhibited aminopeptidase N by 82%, 82%, 88%, DPP IV by 38%, 62%, 57%, and fagaronine by 34%, respectively. When bovine serum albumin (500 microg/mL) was added, the inhibition of both proteases by quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (QBA) (50 microM) was significantly diminished. Strong interaction of chelerythrine and sanguinarine with bovine and human serum albumin was proved by electrophoretic determination of their respective conditional binding constants.