Emerging anticancer potential and mechanisms of snake venom toxins: A review

Animal-derived venom, like snake venom, has been proven to be valuable natural resources for the drug development. Previously, snake venom was mainly investigated in its pharmacological activities in regulating coagulation, vasodilation, and cardiovascular function, and several marketed cardiovascular drugs were successfully developed from snake venom. In recent years, snake venom fractions have been demonstrated with anticancer properties of inducing apoptotic and autophagic cell death, restraining proliferation, suppressing angiogenesis, inhibiting cell adhesion and migration, improving immunity, and so on. A number of active anticancer enzymes and peptides have been identified from snake venom toxins, such as L-amino acid oxidases (LAAOs), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), metalloproteinases (MPs), three-finger toxins (3FTxs), serine proteinases (SPs), disintegrins, C-type lectin-like proteins (CTLPs), cell-penetrating peptides, cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs). In this review, we focus on summarizing these snake venom-derived anticancer components on their anticancer activities and underlying mechanisms. We will also discuss their potential to be developed as anticancer drugs in the future.

Two Recombinant Bacteriocins, Rhamnosin and Lysostaphin, Show Synergistic Anticancer Activity Against Gemcitabine-Resistant Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Lines

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a bile duct cancer with a high mortality rate, has a poor prognosis due to its highly invasive and drug-resistant phenotypes. More effective and selective therapies are urgently needed. Bacteriocins are broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides/proteins produced by bacterial strains to compete with other bacteria. Recent studies have reported that bacteriocins exhibit anticancer properties against various cancer cell lines with minimal toxicity toward normal cells. In this study, two types of recombinant bacteriocins, rhamnosin from probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and lysostaphin from Staphylococcus simulans, were highly produced in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified via immobilized-Ni2+ affinity chromatography. When their anticancer activity was investigated against CCA cell lines, both rhamnosin and lysostaphin were found capable of inhibiting the growth of CCA cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion but were less toxic toward a normal cholangiocyte cell line. Rhamnosin and lysostaphin as single treatments could suppress the growth of gemcitabine-resistant cell lines to the same extent as or more than they suppressed the parental counterparts. A combination of both bacteriocins more strongly inhibited growth and enhanced cell apoptosis in both parental and gemcitabine-resistant cells partly through the increased expression of the proapoptotic genes BAX, and caspase-3, -8, and -9. In conclusion, this is the first report to demonstrate an anticancer property of rhamnosin and lysostaphin. Using these bacteriocins as single agents or in combination would be effective against drug-resistant CCA.

Curcumol: a review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, structure-activity relationships, and potential applications

Curcumol (Cur), a guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid hemiketal, is an important and representative bioactive component extracted from the essential oil of the rhizomes of Curcumae rhizoma which is also known as "Ezhu" in traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, Cur has received considerable attention from the research community due to its favorable pharmacological activities, including anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-convulsant, and other activities, and has also exerted therapeutic effect on various cancers, liver diseases, inflammatory diseases, and infectious diseases. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that Cur is rapidly distributed in almost all organs of rats after intragastric administration with high concentrations in the small intestine and colon. Several studies focusing on structure-activity relationship (SAR) of Cur have shown that some Cur derivatives, chemically modified at C-8 or C-14, exhibited more potent anti-cancer activity and lower toxicity than Cur itself. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the latest advances in the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of Cur in the last decade with a focus on its anti-cancer and hepatoprotective potentials, as well as the research progress in drug delivery system and potential applications of Cur to date, to provide researchers with the latest information, to highlighted the limitations of relevant research at the current stage and the aspects that should be addressed in future research. Our results indicate that Cur and its derivatives could serve as potential novel agents for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly cancer and liver diseases.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies of novel pyridopyridine derivatives as anticancer candidates targeting FMS kinase

Design and synthesis of novel 4-carboxamidopyrido[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives as novel rigid analogues of sorafenib are reported herein. The target compounds showed potent antiproliferative activities against a panel of NCI-60 cancer cell lines as well as hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Compounds 8g and 9f were among the most promising derivatives in terms of effectiveness and safety. Therefore, they were further examined to demonstrate their ability to induce apoptosis and alter cell cycle progression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The most potent compounds were tested against a panel of kinases that indicated their selectivity against FMS kinase. Compounds 8g and 8h showed the most potent activities against FMS kinase with IC50 values of 21.5 and 73.9 nM, respectively. The two compounds were also tested in NanoBRET assay to investigate their ability to inhibit FMS kinase in cells (IC50 = 563 nM (8g) and 1347 nM (8h) vs. IC50 = 1654 nM for sorafenib). Furthermore, compounds 8g and 8h possess potent inhibitory activities against macrophages when investigated in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) assay (IC50 = 56 nM and 167 nM, respectively, 164 nM for sorafenib). The safety and selectivity of these compounds were confirmed when tested against normal cell lines. Their safety profile was further confirmed using hERG assay. In silico studies were carried out to investigate their binding modes in the active site of FMS kinase, and to develop a QSAR model for these new motifs.

Design, synthesis, characterization, in vitro cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antioxidant studies, DFT, thermal and molecular docking evaluation of biocompatible Co(II) complexes of N4O4-macrocyclic ligands

Bioactive cobalt (II) macrocyclic complexes [Co(N4O4ML1)Cl2]-[Co(N4O4ML3)Cl2] have been synthesized by using the macrocyclic ligands [N4O4ML1], [N4O4ML2], and [N4O4ML3] that have an N4O4 core. These three macrocyclic ligands were all isolated in pure form, together with their complexes. Microanalytical investigations, FT-IR NMR, Mass, magnetic moments, electronic, PXRD, TGA, and EPR spectrum studies were used to analyse their structures. For these complexes, an octahedral geometry is proposed for the metal ion. By using molecular weights and conductivity measurements the monomeric and non-electrolytic nature has been confirmed. The Coats-Redfern and FWO methods are used to determine the thermodynamic characteristics of the ligands and their Co(II) complexes. The molecular modelling using the DFT technique displays the bond angle, bond lengths and quantum chemical properties. To determine their ability to prevent the growth of harmful fungus and bacteria, the ligands [N4O4ML1]- [N4O4ML3] and their complexes were tested in vitro against A. Niger, C. albicans and B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli and S. typhi fungal and bacterial organisms, respectively. By using DPPH free radical scavenger assays, the in vitro antioxidant capabilities of each compound were evaluated. The [Co(N4O4ML3)Cl2] antioxidative capabilities revealed significant radical scavenging power. The MTT assay was used to assess the toxicity of all the synthesised compounds under inquiry on MCF-7, HeLa, and A549 cancer cells. The findings revealed that the ligand and the compounds gave outstanding IC50 values in the range of 9.07-36.25 (uM) at a concentration of 25 ppm. Among all the substances evaluated, [Co(N4O4ML3)Cl2] complex was discovered to be the most active and least cytotoxic. Additionally, docking investigations of the produced compounds were carried out in order to validate the biological outcomes.

Copper perchlorate catalyzed oxidative cyclisation of a novel bishydrazone ligand, formation of an unusual copper complex and in vitro biological implications

A novel hexadentate bishydrazone ligand, 1,10-bis(di(2-pyridyl)ketone) adipic acid dihydrazone (H2L1) is synthesized and characterized. With copper perchlorate as a catalytic oxidant, the ligand undergoes oxidative cyclisation and resulted in the formation of an unusual copper complex [Cu(L1a)2Cl]ClO4 (1), where L1a is 3-(2-pyridyl)triazolo[1,5-a]-pyridine. The Cu(II) complex was characterized physicochemically, while the molecular structure was confirmed by single crystal X- ray diffraction. In the complex cation, copper(II) is in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination environment, surrounded by two triazolo nitrogen atoms and two pyridyl nitrogen atoms of L1a and a chloride atom. The relevant non covalent intermolecular interactions of the complex quantified using Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the O···H/ H···O (27.2%) contacts has the highest contribution. The solution phase bandgaps of the compounds were calculated using Tauc plot, whereas the solid-state band gaps were calculated by Kubelka-Munk model. DFT studies of the compounds indicate that the theoretical calculations corroborate with the experimental data. DPPH antioxidant activity assay of the synthesized compounds showed that the proligand H2L1 has a lower IC50 value (24.1 μM) than that of complex 1 (29.7 μM). The in vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which revealed that complex 1 have excellent activity against E. coli, much as the standard ciprofloxacin. The cytotoxic efficacy investigation of the compounds against A549 (lung) adenocarcinoma cells suggested that H2L1 has more anticancer activity (IC50 value of 149.08 μM) than that of complex 1(IC50 value of 176.70 μM).

QSAR prediction, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and mechanistic investigations of novel sophoridine derivatives as topoisomerase I inhibitors

Sophoridine, which is derived from the Leguminous plant Sophora alopecuroides L., has certain pharmacological activity as a new anticancer drug. Herein, a series of novel N-substituted sophoridine derivatives was designed, synthesized and evaluated with anticancer activity. Through QSAR prediction models, it was discovered that the introduction of a benzene ring as a main pharmacophore and reintroduced into a benzene in para position on the phenyl ring in the novel sophoridine derivatives improved the anticancer activity effectively. In vitro, 28 novel compounds were evaluated for anticancer activity against four human tumor cell lines (A549, CNE-2, HepG-2, and HEC-1-B). In particular, Compound 26 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects, with an IC50 value of 15.6 μM against HepG-2 cells, surpassing cis-Dichlorodiamineplatinum (II). Molecular docking studies verified that the derivatives exhibit stronger binding affinity with DNA topoisomerase I compared to sophoridine. In addition, 26 demonstrated significant inhibition of DNA Topoisomerase I and could arrest cells in G0/G1 phase. This study provides valuable insights into the design and synthesis of N-substituted sophoridine derivatives with anticancer activity.

Molecular docking approach for the design and synthesis of new pyrazolopyrimidine analogs of roscovitine as potential CDK2 inhibitors endowed with pronounced anticancer activity

Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a vital protein for controlling cell cycle progression that is critically associated with various malignancies and its inhibition could offer a convenient therapeutic approach in designing anticancer remedies. Consequently, this study aimed to design and synthesize new CDK2 inhibitors featuring roscovitine as a template model. The purine ring of roscovitine was bioisosterically replaced with the pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine scaffold, in addition to some modifications in the side chains. A preliminary molecular docking study for the target chemotypes in the CDK2 binding domain revealed their ability to accomplish similar binding patterns and interactions to that of the lead compound roscovitine. Afterwards, synthesis of the new derivatives was accomplished. Then, the initial anticancer screening at a single dose by the NCI revealed that compounds 7a, 9c, 11c, 17a and 17b achieved the highest GI% values reaching up to 150 % indicating their remarkable activity. These derivatives were subsequently selected to undertake five-dose testing, where compounds 7a, 9c, 11c and 17a unveiled the most pronounced activity against almost the full panel with GI50 ranges; 1.41-28.2, 0.116-2.39, 0.578-60.6 and 1.75-42.4 µM, respectively and full panel GI50 (MG-MID); 8.24, 0.6, 2.46 and 6.84 µM, respectively. CDK2 inhibition assay presented compounds 7a and 9c as the most potent inhibitors with IC50 values of 0.262 and 0.281 µM, respectively which are nearly 2.4 folds higher than the reference ligand roscovitine (IC50 = 0.641 µM). Besides, flow cytometric analysis on the most susceptible and safe cell lines depicted that 7a caused cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase in renal cancer cell line (RXF393) while 9c led to cell growth arrest at S phase in breast cancer cell line (T-47D) along with pronounced apoptotic induction in the mentioned cell lines. These findings afforded new anticancer pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, roscovitine analogs, acting via CDK2 inhibition.

Effectiveness of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. fruits in cancer and inflammatory diseases: A mini review

BACKGROUND

Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (SCA) fruits are found in India's sub-Himalayan, tropical, and central regions and have been utilized for centuries in traditional Indian medicine to treat various ailments. In recent times, a growing body of research has emerged indicating that the extracts and active components found in SCA fruits possess qualities that can potentially inhibit the development of cancer and inflammatory markers.

PURPOSE

This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the effects of extracts and phytochemicals of SCA fruits in cellular, animal models, and clinical trials of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, preprint platforms, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using the keywords "Semecarpus anacardium", "Anti-inflammatory," and "cancer". The collection of articles started with establishing the database and continued until April 2024.

RESULTS

Out of 1130 retrieved database records, 316 pertained to systematic reviews. The remaining 814 records focused on examining the anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties of SCA fruits. In the course of these investigations, the four primary cancer types linked to SCA fruits are identified as lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and blood cancer.

CONCLUSION

The findings will provide more support for investigating SCA fruits in cancer treatment and will furnish thorough reference data and recommendations for future studies on this botanical medication.

Macromolecules with predominant β-pleated sheet proteins in extracellular vesicles released from Raphanus sativus L. var. caudatus Alef microgreens induce DNA damage-mediated apoptosis in HCT116 colon cancer cells

Plant-derived bioactive macromolecules (i.e., proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids) were prepared as extracellular vesicles (EVs). Plant-derived EVs are gaining pharmaceutical research interest because of their bioactive components and delivery properties. The spherical nanosized EVs derived from Raphanus sativus L. var. caudatus Alef microgreens previously showed antiproliferative activity in HCT116 colon cancer cells from macromolecular compositions (predominantly proteins). To understand the mechanism of action, the biological activity studies, i.e., antiproliferation, cellular biochemical changes, DNA conformational changes, DNA damage, apoptotic nuclear morphological changes, apoptosis induction, and apoptotic pathways, were determined by neutral red uptake assay, synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, comet assay, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, flow cytometry, and caspase activity assay, respectively. EVs inhibited HCT116 cell growth in concentration- and time-dependent manners, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 675.4 ± 33.8 μg/ml at 48 h and a selectivity index of 1.5 ± 0.076. HCT116 treated with EVs mainly changed the cellular biochemical compositions in the nucleic acids and carbohydrates region. The DNA damage caused no changes in DNA conformation. The apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were associated with the increased apoptotic cell population. The apoptotic cell death was induced by both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. EVs have potential as antiproliferative bioparticles.

Pharmacokinetic enhancement of oncolytic virus M1 by inhibiting JAK‒STAT pathway

Oncolytic viruses (OVs), a group of replication-competent viruses that can selectively infect and kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact, are emerging as promising living anticancer agents. Unlike traditional drugs composed of non-replicating compounds or biomolecules, the replicative nature of viruses confer unique pharmacokinetic properties that require further studies. Despite some pharmacokinetics studies of OVs, mechanistic insights into the connection between OV pharmacokinetics and antitumor efficacy remain vague. Here, we characterized the pharmacokinetic profile of oncolytic virus M1 (OVM) in immunocompetent mouse tumor models and identified the JAK‒STAT pathway as a key modulator of OVM pharmacokinetics. By suppressing the JAK‒STAT pathway, early OVM pharmacokinetics are ameliorated, leading to enhanced tumor-specific viral accumulation, increased AUC and Cmax, and improved antitumor efficacy. Rather than compromising antitumor immunity after JAK‒STAT inhibition, the improved pharmacokinetics of OVM promotes T cell recruitment and activation in the tumor microenvironment, providing an optimal opportunity for the therapeutic outcome of immune checkpoint blockade, such as anti-PD-L1. Taken together, this study advances our understanding of the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship in OV therapy.

Discovery of novel thiophene-3-carboxamide derivatives as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors with anti-angiogenic properties

VEGFR-2 is an attractive target for the development of anti-tumor drugs and plays a crucial role in tumor angiogenesis. This study reports a series of novel thiophene-3-carboxamide derivatives based on PAN-90806 as VEGFR-2 inhibitors, among which compound 14d exhibits excellent anti-proliferative activity against HCT116, MCF7, PC3, and A549 cell lines, and has effective VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 191.1 nM. Additionally, CETSA results indicated that VEGFR-2 was a relevant target of compound 14d in the cell lines, and compound 14d could also inhibit VEGFR-2 protein phosphorylation in A549 cell line. Furthermore, compound 14d inhibited colony formation, cell migration, and HUVECs tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism by which 14d induced cancer cell death involves blocking the cell cycle, increasing ROS production, inducing apoptosis, and dose-dependently reducing the levels of phosphorylated ERK and MEK. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations had shown that compound 14d could stably bind to the active site of VEGFR-2. These results confirmed that compound 14d might be a promising lead compound for anti-angiogenesis.

Exploring cyclopropylamine containing cyanopyrimidines as LSD1 inhibitors: Design, synthesis, ADMET, MD analysis and anticancer activity profiling

In this series we report the structure-based design, synthesis and anticancer activity evaluation of a series of eighteen cyclopropylamine containing cyanopyrimidine derivatives. The computational predictions of ADMET properties revealed appropriate aqueous solubility, high GI absorption, no BBB permeability, no Lipinski rule violations, medium total clearance and no mutagenic, tumorigenic, irritant and reproductive toxic risks for most of the compounds. Compounds VIIb, VIIi and VIIm emerged as the most potent anticancer agents among all compounds evaluated against 60 cancer cell lines through the one-dose (10 µM) sulforhodamine B assay. Further, the multiple dose cell viability studies against cancer cell lines MOLT-4, A549 and HCT-116 revealed results consistent with the one-dose assay, besides sparing normal cell line HEK-293. The three potent compounds also displayed potent LSD1 inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 2.25, 1.80 and 6.08 µM. The n-propyl-thio/isopropyl-thio group bonded to the pyrimidine ring and unsubstituted/ electron donating group (at the para- position) attached to the phenyl ring resulted in enhanced anticancer activity. However, against leukemia cancer, the electron donating isopropyl group remarkably enhanced anti-cancer activity. Our findings provide important leads, which merit further optimization to result in better cancer therapeutics.

Benzylidene-isophorone hybrids with strong anticancer activity

Isophorone is a cyclic ketone that has gained significant attention in the field of organic chemistry due to its versatile reactivity and structural attributes. Derivatives of isophorone offer a broad spectrum of applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to polymer chemistry. With the aim of developing novel hybrid structures based on benzylidene by combining with isophorone scaffold, we report 3 derivatives of the benzylidene-isophorone hybrids and its potent anticancer activity. In order to optimize the anticancer activity of hybrids di-substitution of -Cl group in C2 and C6 position of phenyl ring (compound1), -OCH3 group in C2 and C5 position of phenyl ring (compound2), and -OCH3 group in C2 and C3 position of phenyl ring (compound3) of benzylidene (PhCH=) moiety were made. The structure of Compounds1,2 and 3 were elucidated using spectral and XRD methods. Compounds1,2 and 3 exhibit space group P c a 21, P-1, and P 1 21/n 1 respectively. Compounds1,2 and 3 were tested for the potent anticancer activity on MDA MB-231 cell line. All the three compounds exhibit good anticancer activity on the breast cancer cells. The parent hybrid with ortho, ortho directing -Cl (1) exhibits strong antiproliferation effect (IC50 = 0.028 µM) on MDA-MB 231 cell line. However, hybrid structures with ortho, meta directing -OCH3 (2) group showed moderate effect (IC50 = 0.061 µM) and hybrid with ortho, meta directing -OCH3 (3) substitution showed the least potent anticancer activity (IC50 = 0.074 µM). The benzylidene-isophorone hybrids exhibit anticancer effects in the following order: 1 > 2 > 3.

Oleic acid reduces oxidative stress in rat brain induced by some anticancer drugs

Oleic acid (OA) is a monounsaturated compound with many health-benefitting properties such as obesity prevention, increased insulin sensitivity, antihypertensive and immune-boosting properties, etc. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of oleic acid (OA) and some anticancer drugs against oxidative damage induced by nitropropionic acid (NPA) in rat brain. Six groups of Wistar rats were treated as follows: Group 1, (control); group 2, OA; group 3, NPA + OA; group 4, cyclophosphamide (CPP) + OA; group 5, daunorubicin (DRB) + OA; and group 6, dexrazoxane (DXZ) + OA. All compounds were administered intraperitoneally route, every 24 h for 5 days. Their brains were extracted to measure lipoperoxidation (TBARS), H2O2, Ca+2, Mg+2 ATPase activity, glutathione (GSH) and dopamine. Glucose, hemoglobin and triglycerides were measured in blood. In cortex GSH increased in all groups, except in group 2, the group 4 showed the highest increase of this biomarker. TBARS decrease, and dopamine increase in all regions of groups 4, 5 and 6. H2O2 increased only in cerebellum/medulla oblongata of group 5 and 6. ATPase expression decreased in striatum of group 4. Glucose increased in group 6, and hemoglobin increased in groups 4 and 5. These results suggest that the increase of dopamine and the antioxidant effect of oleic acid administration during treatment with oncologic agents could result in less brain injury.

Extraction of flavonoids from black mulberry wine residues and their antioxidant and anticancer activity in vitro

Enhancing the valorization of fruit processing by-products is pivotal for advancing the industry. Black mulberry wine residues, a by-product, contains some bioactive compounds, yet its antioxidant and anticancer potentials remain unverified. In this study, ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction was optimized by response surface methodology to obtain the flavonoids extracts from black mulberry wine residues, whose antioxidant capacity and anti-cancer activity in vitro was investigated. The results showed that under the optimal extraction conditions (enzyme ratio at pectinase:cellulose = 2:1, mixed enzyme concentration 0.31 mg/mL, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature 55.35 °C, enzymatic hydrolysis time 79.03 min, and ultrasonic time 22.71 min), the extracts from black mulberry wine residues (BMWR-E) reached 5.672 mg/g. At a concentration of 1.2 mg/mL, BMWR-E exhibited strong DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. At a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL, BMWR-E showed a strong superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity, with no significant distinction compared to the positive control group (Vitamin C) (p > 0.05). Cell viability assay results showed that BMWR-E was non-toxic to normal BRL-3A cells when applied at concentrations of 0.1-0.3 mg/mL for an incubation period of 24 h, but BMWR-E exhibited the ability to inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells. At concentrations of 0.2 mg/mL and above, BMWR-E could induce late apoptosis of HepG2 cells by increasing the protein expression levels of Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-12, reducing the protein expression levels of Bcl-2, inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of HepG2 cells. The bioactive properties make BMWR-E possess potential in developing new antioxidants and anti-cancer agents, which would significantly enhance the economic worth of agricultural by-products in product processing. This research can improve the utilization rate of agricultural product processing by-products and protect the environment.

Effects of crotamine in human prostate cancer cell line

Our study presents the anticancer potential of crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus in human prostate cancer cell line DU-145. Crotamine isolation was conducted through RP-FPLC, its molecular mass analyzed by MALDI-TOF was 4881.4 kDa, and N-terminal sequencing confirmed crotamine identity. Crotamine demonstrated no toxicity and did not inhibit migration in HUVEC cells. Although no cell death occurred in DU-145 cells, crotamine inhibited their migration. Thus, crotamine presented potential to be a prototype of anticancer drug.

Heterologous expression of pediocin PA-1 in Pichia pastoris: cloning, expression, characterization, and application in pork bologna preservation

OBJECTIVE

Pediocin PA-1, an antimicrobial peptide derived from Pediococcus acidilactici PAC1.0, has a potential application as a food preservative thanks to its strong inhibitory activity against the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes. This study aimed to produce Pediocin PA-1 from the yeast P. pastoris and evaluate its characteristics.

METHODS

Gene encoding Pediocin PA-1 was integrated into P. pastoris X33 genome to establish the strain X33::ped, which could produce and secrete this peptide into culture medium. The antimicrobial activity of Pediocin PA-1 was examined using agar diffusion assay. The stability of pediocin PA-1 was determined based on its remaining antibacterial activity after exposure to proteases and extreme pH and temperatures. The potential use of this bacteriocin in food preservation was demonstrated using the L. monocytogenes infected pork bologna. The anticancer activity of Pediocin PA-1 was also investigated on some cancer cells using MTT assay.

RESULTS

We established the yeast P. pastoris X33::ped capable of producing pediocin PA-1 with antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes and some other harmful bacteria. Pediocin PA-1 was stable at 100˚C and resistant against pH 1-12 for 1 h, but susceptible to trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and proteinase K. This peptide could reduce the number of L. monocytogenes in pork bologna by 3.59 log CFU/g after 7 days of storage at 4˚C. Finally, Pediocin PA-1 (25 µg/ml) inhibited the proliferation of A549 and Hela cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

We succeeded in producing active Pediocin PA-1 from P. pastoris and demonstrated its potential use in food preservation and pharmaceutical industry.

A highly sensitive first derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetric approach for the simultaneous analysis of the anti-breast cancer co-administered drugs, letrozole and tramadol in dosage forms and human plasma at nanogram levels

Letrozole is an anticancer medication prescribed for the management of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Chronic pain is prevalent in patients receiving chemotherapy, leading to the use of adjuvant analgesics such as tramadol. This work introduces the first analytical approach for the concurrent quantification of letrozole and tramadol, two co-administered drugs, employing a rapid, highly sensitive, eco-friendly, and cost-effective first derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetric technique. The fluorescence of tramadol and letrozole was measured at wavelengths of 235.9 nm and 241.9 nm, respectively using a wavelength difference (Δλ) of 60.0 nm. The developed approach demonstrated exceptional linearity (r ˃ 0.999) within the specified concentration ranges for tramadol (10.0-1200.0 ng/mL) and letrozole (1.0-140.0 ng/mL). The results demonstrated that the proposed technique exhibits a high level of sensitivity, with detection limits of 0.569 and 0.143 ng/mL for tramadol and letrozole, respectively, indicating the good bioanalytical applicability. The within-run precisions, both intra-day and inter-day, for both analytes, were less than 0.71 % RSD. The developed approach was effectively applied to simultaneously estimate the mentioned drugs in their tablets and human plasma samples, achieving high percentage recoveries and low % RSD values. In order to assess the environmental sustainability of the developed approach, Analytical GREEnnessNNESS (AGREE) and the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) metric tools were employed. Both tools revealed that the developed approach is excellent green, suggesting its usage as an environmentally-friendly alternative for the routine assayof the investigated pharmaceuticals. The developed approach was validated according to the ICHQ2 (R1) requirements.

Cyclodextrin encapsulation enabling the anticancer repositioning of disulfiram: Preparation, analytical and in vitro biological characterization of the inclusion complexes

Drug repositioning is a high-priority and feasible strategy in the field of oncology research, where the unmet medical needs are continuously unbalanced. Disulfiram is a potential non-chemotherapeutic, adjuvant anticancer agent. However, the clinical translation is limited by the drug's poor bioavailability. Therefore, the molecular encapsulation of disulfiram with cyclodextrins is evaluated to enhance the solubility and stability of the drug. The present work describes for the first time the complexation of disulfiram with randomly methylated-β-cyclodextrin. A parallel analytical andin vitrobiological comparison of disulfiram inclusion complexes with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, randomly methylated-β-cyclodextrin and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin is conducted. A significant drug solubility enhancement by about 1000-folds and fast dissolution in 1 min is demonstrated. Thein vitrodissolution-permeation studies and proliferation assays demonstrate the solubility-dependent efficacy of the drug. Throughout the different cancer cell lines' characteristics and disulfiram unspecific antitumoral activity, the inhibitory efficacy of the cyclodextrin encapsulated drug on melanoma (IC50 about 100 nM) and on glioblastoma (IC50 about 7000 nM) cell lines differ by a magnitude. This pre-formulation screening experiment serves as a proof of concept of using cyclodextrin encapsulation as a platform tool for further drug delivery development in repositioning areas.

Amphiphilic hydroxyethyl starch-based nanoparticles carrying linoleic acid modified berberine inhibit the expression of krasv12 oncogene in zebrafish

Cancer is one of the most lethal diseases all over the world. Despite that many drugs have been developed for cancer therapy, they still suffer from various limitations including poor treating efficacy, toxicity to normal human cells, and the emergence of multidrug resistance. In this study, the amphiphilic LHES polymers were prepared using hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and linoleic acid as starting materials. The content and substitution degree of linoleic acid groups in LHES polymers were analyzed. The LHES polymers were used for fabricating LHES-B nanoparticles carrying a linoleic acid modified berberine derivative (L-BBR). The LHES-B nanoparticles showed high drug loading efficiency (29%) and could quickly release L-BBR under acidic pH condition (pH = 4.5). Biological investigations revealed that LHES-B nanoparticles significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells and exhibited higher cytotoxicity than L-BBR. In a transgenic Tg(fabp10:rtTA2s-M2; TRE2:EGFP-krasv12) zebrafish model, LHES-B nanoparticles obviously inhibited the expression of krasv12 oncogene. These results indicated that LHES carriers could improve the anticancer activity of L-BBR, and the synthesized LHES-B nanoparticles showed great potential as anticancer drug.

New Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines as Anticancer VEGFR-2 Inhibitors with Apoptosis Induction: Design, Synthesis, and Biological and In Silico Studies

BACKGROUND

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) is a critical protein involved in tumor progression, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate novel thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues as potential anticancer VEGFR-2 inhibitors.

METHODS

The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues were synthesized following the pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The anticancer potential was assessed against PC3 and HepG2 cell lines. The VEGFR-2 inhibition was evaluated through IC50 determination. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis assays were performed to elucidate the mechanisms of action. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, MM-GBSA, and PLIP studies were conducted to investigate the binding affinities and interactions with VEGFR-2. Additionally, in silico ADMET studies were performed.

RESULTS

Compound 8b demonstrated significant anti-proliferative activities with IC50 values of 16.35 μM and 8.24 μM against PC3 and HepG2 cell lines, respectively, surpassing sorafenib and exhibiting enhanced selectivity indices. Furthermore, compound 8b showed an IC50 value of 73 nM for VEGFR-2 inhibition. Cell cycle analysis revealed G2-M phase arrest, while apoptosis assays demonstrated increased apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations confirmed the binding affinity and interaction of compound 8b with VEGFR-2, supported by MMGBSA and PLIP studies. In silico ADMET studies indicated the drug development potential of the synthesized thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights compound 8b as a promising VEGFR-2 inhibitor with potent anti-proliferative activities. Its mechanism of action involves cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Further, molecular docking and dynamic simulations support the strong binding affinity of compound 8b to VEGFR-2.

Joining up the scattered anticancer knowledge on auraptene and umbelliprenin: a meta-analysis

Auraptene (AUR) and umbelliprenin (UMB) are naturally occurring prenylated coumarins that have demonstrated promising anticancer effects across various human cancer cell lines. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically assess, compare, and quantify the anticancer efficacy of AUR and UMB by synthesizing evidence from in vitro studies. A comprehensive literature search identified 27 eligible studies investigating AUR or UMB against cancer cells. Mixed-effects models revealed significant negative associations between coumarin dose and viability for AUR (est. = - 2.27) and UMB (est. = - 3.990), underscoring their dose-dependent cytotoxicity. Meta-regression indicated slightly higher potency for UMB over AUR, potentially due to increased lipophilicity imparted by additional isoprenyl units. Machine learning approaches identified coumarin dose and cancer type as the most influential determinants of toxicity, while treatment duration and the specific coumarin displayed weaker effects. Moderate (AUR) to substantial (UMB) between-study heterogeneity was detected, although the findings proved robust. In summary, this meta-analysis establishes AUR and UMB as promising natural anticancer candidates with clear dose-toxicity relationships across diverse malignancies. The structural insights and quantifications of anticancer efficacy can inform forthcoming efforts assessing therapeutic potential in pre-clinical models and human trials.

Synthesis of novel carbazole hydrazine-carbothioamide scaffold as potent antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial agents

BACKGROUND

Carbazole-based molecules containing thiosemicarbazide functional groups are recognized for their diverse biological activities, particularly in enhancing therapeutic anticancer effects through inhibiting crucial pathways. These derivatives also exhibit noteworthy antioxidant properties.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer activities of 18 novel carbazole derivatives.

METHODS

The radical scavenging capabilities of the compounds were assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. Antiproliferative activities were evaluated on MCF-7 cancer cell lines through viability assays. Additionally, the modulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, apoptosis/necrosis induction, and cell cycle analysis were conducted for the most promising anticancer agents.

RESULTS

nine compounds showed potent antioxidant activities with IC50 values lower than the positive control acarbose, with compounds 4 h and 4y exhibiting the highest potency (IC50 values of 0.73 and 0.38 µM, respectively). Furthermore, compounds 4o and 4r displayed significant anticancer effects, with IC50 values of 2.02 and 4.99 µM, respectively. Compound 4o, in particular, exhibited promising activity by targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, inhibiting tumor survival, inducing apoptosis, and causing cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cell lines. Furthermore, compound 4o was showed significant antimicrobial activities against S. aureus and E. coli, and antifungal effect against C. albicans. Its potential to overcome drug resistance through this pathway inhibition highlights its promise as an anticancer agent. Molecular docking simulations supported these findings, revealing favorable binding profiles and interactions within the active sites of the enzymes PI3K, AKT1, and mTOR. Moreover, assessing the druggability of the newly synthesized thiosemicarbazide derivatives demonstrated optimal physicochemical properties, further endorsing their potential as drug candidates.

Strobilurin X acts as an anticancer drug by inhibiting protein synthesis and suppressing mitochondrial respiratory chain activity

PURPOSE

Strobilurins act as antifungal agents by inhibiting the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The cytotoxic activity of strobilurins, focusing on its anticancer activities, has been reported. However, the mechanisms involved in these activities remain unclear.

METHODS

The cytotoxic effects of strobilurin X isolated from the mycelium of Mucidula. venosolamellata were examined in human cancer cell lines (A549 and HeLa) and normal fibroblasts (WI-38).

RESULTS

Strobilurin X significantly decreased the viability of A549 and HeLa cells compared to that in the WI-38 cells after 48 h of exposure. The EC50 values for cytotoxicity in the A549, HeLa, and WI-38 cells were 3.4, 5.4, and 16.8 μg/mL, respectively. Strobilurin X inhibited the mitochondrial respiratory chain and enhanced the release of lactate in the A549 cells. The IC50 value of strobilurin X against the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III activity was 139.8 ng/mL. The cytotoxicity induced by strobilurin X was not completely rescued after adding uridine, methyl pyruvate, or N-acetyl cysteine. Furthermore, pharmacological approaches demonstrated that strobilurin X failed to modulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase family and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt pathways; alternatively, it suppressed protein synthesis independent of uridine.

CONCLUSION

Strobilurin X induced cytotoxicity by blocking the mitochondrial respiratory chain and suppressing protein synthesis. These findings may aid in the development of novel anticancer drugs using strobilurins.