Fraxetin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of bladder cancer through the Akt pathway in vitro and in vivo

Coumarins in Anticancer Therapy: Mechanisms of Action, Potential Applications and Research Perspectives

Coumarins are natural organic compounds widely found in plants that show promising anticancer properties. This article reviews the current research on the mechanisms of action of coumarins in cancer therapy, including the induction of apoptosis, inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, modulation of oxidative stress, and inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis. Examples of coumarins with demonstrated anticancer activity, such as scopoletin, umbeliferon, esculetin and their synthetic derivatives, are also presented. The results of preclinical studies, the potential use of coumarins as stand-alone drugs and their role in combination therapy with chemotherapy are discussed. In addition, challenges related to bioavailability, safety and potential interactions with other drugs are highlighted. This review concludes by pointing out future research directions, such as the design of new coumarin analogs and the use of nanotechnology to enhance their efficacy in cancer treatment.

Engineering yeast to produce fraxetin from ferulic acid and lignin

Lignin, the most abundant renewable source of aromatic compounds on earth, remains underexploited in traditional biorefining. Fraxetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has garnered considerable attention in the scientific community due to its diverse and potent biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neurological protective actions. To enhance the green and value-added utilization of lignin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered as a cell factory to transform lignin derivatives to produce fraxetin. The expression of scopoletin 8-hydroxylase (S8H) and coumarin synthase (COSY) enabled S. cerevisiae to produce fraxetin from ferulic acid, one of the three principal monomers. The optimized fermentation strategies produced 19.1 mg/L fraxetin from ferulic acid by engineered S. cerevisiae. Additionally, the engineered cell factory achieved a fraxetin titer of 7.7 mg/L in lignin hydrolysate. This study successfully demonstrates the biotransformation of lignin monomers and lignin hydrolysate into fraxetin using a S. cerevisiae cell factory, thereby providing a viable strategy for the valorization of lignin. KEY POINTS: • AtS8H showed substance specificity in the hydroxylation of scopoletin. • AtCOSY and AtS8H were key enzymes for converting ferulic acid into fraxetin. • Yeast was engineered to produce fraxetin from lignin hydrolysate.

Exploring the anticancer potential and mechanisms of action of natural coumarins and isocoumarins

Natural coumarins and isocoumarins show significant therapeutic potential against cancer in preclinical studies by targeting multiple pathways and processes. These compounds influence several critical cellular processes, such as apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle regulation, which are pivotal in cancer development and progression. Their capability to target multiple signalling pathways provides a strategic advantage over single-target therapies, which are often limited by drug resistance. Notably, coumarins have the potential to inhibit angiogenesis, the process through which tumours develop new blood vessels, thereby potentially restricting tumour growth and metastasis. Additionally, coumarins may enhance anticancer effects by modulating immune responses and reducing inflammation, thus offering a dual approach to combating cancer. They also show promise in addressing multidrug resistance, a significant challenge in cancer therapy, by targeting drug efflux proteins and potentially improving the efficacy of existing treatments. While preclinical studies are promising, further research is required to elucidate the pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and potential side effects of coumarins in humans. Continued clinical evaluation will be crucial to confirm their effectiveness in cancer patients. Nonetheless, their ability to target multiple pathways positions coumarin based molecules as potential candidates for future anti-cancer drug development.

Coumarins as versatile therapeutic phytomolecules: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Coumarins, abundantly distributed in a plethora of biologically active compounds, serve as a fundamental motif in numerous natural products, drugs, and therapeutic leads. Despite their small size, they exhibit a diverse range of biological activities, intriguing researchers with their immense pharmacological potential.

PURPOSE

This study consolidates the evidence regarding the essential role of coumarins in modern drug discovery, exploring their broad-spectrum pharmaceutical effects, structural versatility, and mechanisms of action across various domains.

METHODS

For literature search, we utilized PubMed, Google scholar, and SciFinder databases. Keyword and keyword combinations such as "coumarins", "natural coumarins", "specific natural coumarins for particular diseases", and "therapeutic effects" were employed to retrieve relevant studies. The search encompassed articles published between 2005 and 2023. Selection criteria included studies reporting on the pharmacological activities of natural coumarins against various diseases.

RESULTS

The results highlight the therapeutic potential of natural coumarins against various diseases, demonstrating anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. They also act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and as anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective agents. They also show efficacy against diabetic nephropathy, neurodegenerative diseases, microbial infections and many other diseases.

CONCLUSION

This review underscores the significant role of natural coumarins in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Their diverse biological activities and structural versatility make them promising therapeutic agents. This study serves as a catalyst for further research in the field, aiming to address emerging challenges and opportunities in drug development.

Health benefits of fraxetin: From chemistry to medicine

Fraxetin is a bioactive molecule present in various natural plants, especially Cortex Fraxini. Evidenced outcomes in phytochemical and biological analyses for this agent are now available in the literature, but an insightful review is yet unknown. The goal of the current research is to offer a panoramic illustration of natural observation, biosynthesis, synthesis, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics for fraxetin. Esculetin and ferulic acid acted as precursors in the enzymatic biosynthetic route, whereas fraxetin could be easily synthesized from simple phenols. A great deal of interest was obtained in using this molecule for pharmacological targets. Herein, its pharmacological value included anticancer, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiobesity, and antimicrobial activities, as well as the protection of the liver, neurons, heart, bone, lung, kidney, and others. Anticancer activity may involve the inhibition of proliferation, invasion, and migration, together with apoptotic induction. Health benefits from this molecule were deduced from its ability to suppress cytokines and protect the immune syndrome. Various signaling pathways, such as Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/NLRP3, Akt/AMPK, have been proposed for in vitro and in vivo mechanisms of action. Fraxetin is highly distributed to rat plasma and several organs. However, more pharmacokinetic studies to improve its bioavailability are needed since its solubility in water is still limited.

Autophagy flux in bladder cancer: Cell death crosstalk, drug and nanotherapeutics

Autophagy, a self-digestion mechanism, has emerged as a promising target in the realm of cancer therapy, particularly in bladder cancer (BCa), a urological malignancy characterized by dysregulated biological processes contributing to its progression. This highly conserved catabolic mechanism exhibits aberrant activation in pathological events, prominently featured in human cancers. The nuanced role of autophagy in cancer has been unveiled as a double-edged sword, capable of functioning as both a pro-survival and pro-death mechanism in a context-dependent manner. In BCa, dysregulation of autophagy intertwines with cell death mechanisms, wherein pro-survival autophagy impedes apoptosis and ferroptosis, while pro-death autophagy diminishes tumor cell survival. The impact of autophagy on BCa progression is multifaceted, influencing metastasis rates and engaging with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism. Pharmacological modulation of autophagy emerges as a viable strategy to impede BCa progression and augment cell death. Notably, the introduction of nanoparticles for targeted autophagy regulation holds promise as an innovative approach in BCa suppression. This review underscores the intricate interplay of autophagy with cell death pathways and its therapeutic implications in the nuanced landscape of bladder cancer.