RESUMO
The heme protein cytochrome c (Cyt c) plays pivotal roles in cellular life and death processes. In the respiratory chain of mitochondria, it serves as an electron transfer protein, contributing to the proliferation of healthy cells. In the cell cytoplasm, it activates intrinsic apoptosis to terminate damaged cells. Insight into these mechanisms and the associated physicochemical properties and biomolecular interactions of Cyt c informs on the anticancer therapeutic potential of the protein, especially in its ability to subvert the current limitations of small molecule-based chemotherapy. In this review, we explore the development of Cyt c as an anticancer drug by identifying cancer types that would be receptive to the cytotoxicity of the protein and factors that can be finetuned to enhance its apoptotic potency. To this end, some information is obtained by characterizing known drugs that operate, in part, by triggering Cyt c induced apoptosis. The application of different smart drug delivery systems is surveyed to highlight important features for maintaining Cyt c stability and activity and improving its specificity for cancer cells and high drug payload release while recognizing the continuing limitations. This work serves to elucidate on the optimization of the strategies to translate Cyt c to the clinical market.
RESUMO
Volatile secondary metabolites obtained from the leaves and flowers (fresh and dried) of Chromolaena barranquillensis (native specie of the Departamento del Atlántico), and isolated by simultaneous-distillation extraction (SDE) and conventional hydrodistillation (HD), were characterized chemically by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds identified in the volatile fractions were: (a). fresh flowers beta - elemene (24.4 percent), a-pinene (19.6 percent), and limonene (15.7 percent); (b). dried flowers beta-caryophyllene (21.4 percent), germacrene D (16.6 percent), and caryophyllene oxide (13.6 percent); (c). Fresh leaves myrcene (39.0 percent), y-curcumene (17.8 percent), and limonene (10.2 percent); and, (d). Dried leaves beta-caryophyllene (13.8 percent), -curcumene (9.8 percent), beta-elemene (7.7 percent), and caryophyllene oxide (6.4 percent). In the essential oils (EO) were recognized as major components: (e). Fresh flowers beta-caryophyllene (22.9 percent), beta-elemene (14.3 percent), and germacrene D (14.0 percent); (f). Dried flowers beta-caryophyllene (23.6 percent), -elemene (20.6 percent), and germacrene D (15.8 percent); (g). Fresh leaves beta-caryophyllene (22.0 percent), limonene (11.8 percent), -cadinene (6.8 percent), and germacrene D (6.1 percent); and, (h). Dried leaves beta-caryophyllene (29.1 percent), germacrene D (13.1 percent), and caryophyllene oxide (12.0 percent). The yields achieved in the isolation of EO were 0.2 percent/0.4 percent and 0.06 percent/0.1 percent for fresh/dried flowers and fresh/dried leaves, respectively.
Los metabolitos secundarios volátiles obtenidos de hojas y flores (frescas y secas) de Chromolaena barranquillensis (especie nativa del departamento del Atlántico), aislados por destilación-extracción simultánea con solvente (SDE) e hidrodestilación convencional (HD), se caracterizaron químicamente por cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC-MS). Los compuestos mayoritarios que se identificaron en las fracciones volátiles fueron: (a). flores frescas beta-elemeno (24.4 por ciento), a-pineno (19.6 por ciento) y limoneno (15.7 por ciento); (b). Flores secas trans-beta-cariofileno (21.4 por ciento), germacreno D (16.6 por ciento) y óxido de cariofileno (13.6 por ciento); (c). Hojas frescas beta-mirceno (39.0 por ciento), y-curcumeno (17.8 por ciento) y limoneno (10.2 por ciento); y, (d). Hojas secas trans-beta-cariofileno (13.8 por ciento), y-curcumeno (9.8 por ciento), beta-elemeno (7.7 por ciento) y óxido de cariofileno (6.4 por ciento). En los aceites esenciales (AE) se reconocieron como componentes principales: (e). Flores frescas trans-beta-cariofileno (22.9 por ciento), beta-elemeno (14.3 por ciento) y germacreno D (14.0 por ciento); (f). Flores secas trans-beta-cariofileno (23.6 por ciento), beta-elemeno (20.6 por ciento) y germacreno D (15.8 por ciento); (g). Hojas frescas trans-beta-cariofileno (22.0 por ciento), limoneno (11.8 por ciento), -cadineno (6.8 por ciento) y germacreno D (6.1 por ciento); y, (h). Hojas secas trans-beta-cariofileno (29.1 por ciento), germacreno D (13.1 por ciento) y óxido de cariofileno (12.0 por ciento). Los rendimientos alcanzados en el aislamiento de los AE fueron 0.2 por ciento/0.4 por ciento y 0.06 por ciento/0.1 por ciento para las flores frescas/secas y hojas frescas/secas, respectivamente.
