Cucurbitacin IIa: A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology

NLRP3 inflammasome-based therapies by natural products: a new development in the context of cancer therapy

The leucine-rich repeat containing protein (NLR) canonical inflammasome family includes Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3). Via the mediation of apoptosis proteins and immunological reactions, it controls the pathogenesis of malignancy. Experimental studies showed a relationship among lymphogenesis, cancer metastasis, and NLRP3 expression. Natural products have also been used as lead-based substances in a number of investigations to speed up the creation of novel, specific NLRP3 inhibitors. Via the mediation of apoptotic proteins and immunological responses, it controls the pathogenesis of malignancy. Moreover, it was recently noted that among human cancers, chemotherapy activates NLRP3. Induction of NLRP3 could encourage the generation of IL-1β and IL-22 to facilitate the propagation of malignancy. Additionally, prior research has demonstrated that the usage of NLRP3 in cancer therapy may result in resistance to drugs. The depletion of NLRP3 could affect the survival of cells. Natural products have been used as lead materials in a number of studies to help generate novel, specific NLRP3 antagonists more quickly. In the present review, we examine the mechanism behind the beneficial effects of the natural substances on the inhibition of cancer growth and progression, with special focus on NLRP3 regulation.

Cucurbitacin IIa Alleviates Colitis via Promoting the Release of Host-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Encapsulating microRNA-30b-5p

Purpose

Cucurbitacins have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and show promise for inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms by which cucurbitacins affect colitis remain largely unknown.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the impact of cucurbitacin IIa on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in rats and the alterations in intestinal extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs were isolated and characterized, followed by analysis of the small RNAs and proteins encapsulated within them using small RNA sequencing and proteomics, respectively.

Results

Our results revealed that cucurbitacin IIa alleviated colitis symptoms in DSS-treated rats, along with changes in the morphology and composition of intestinal EVs. Notably, EVs from cucurbitacin IIa-treated rats also mitigated colitis symptoms in DSS-treated rats. Further analysis showed that cucurbitacin IIa modified the protein profiles and microRNA composition of EVs extracted from the feces of colitis rats. Specifically, microRNA-30b-5p, significantly increased by cucurbitacin IIa, was found to alleviate colitis symptoms in DSS-treated rats. In conclusion, cucurbitacin IIa appears to alleviate colitis by promoting the release of microRNA-30b-5p from host-derived extracellular vesicles.

Conclusion

These findings enhance our understanding of cucurbitacin IIa's effects on intestinal health and offer potential new therapeutic targets for inflammatory bowel disease treatment.

Evaluation of the Leaves and Seeds of Cucurbitaceae Plants as a New Source of Bioactive Compounds for Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Treatment

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The Cucurbitaceae family represents an important source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. This study aims to investigate the potential application of Cucurbitaceae leaves and seed extracts to prevent and treat colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Four extracts (ethanol extracts and protein extracts and hydrolysates) from the leaves and seeds of cucurbits were tested in T-84, HCT-15 and HT-29 CRC cells. The antitumor, antiangiogenic, antioxidant and chemopreventive potentials and bioactive composition of the active extracts were characterized.

RESULTS

Cold ethanolic extracts from the leaves and seeds of two interspecific Cucurbita genera (CLU01002 and COK01001) exhibited potent antiproliferative, specific and non-hepatotoxic activity against CRC cell lines, with a slight synergistic effect in combination with oxaliplatin. This antitumor activity was related to G2/M cell cycle arrest, the extrinsic apoptosis pathway, cytokinesis inhibition and autophagy. The extracts also inhibited tumor clonogenicity and angiogenesis, and modulated cancer stem cell (CSC) gene expression, as well as expressing antioxidant and chemopreventive cellular capabilities. Finally, phenolic and cucurbitane-type triterpenoid compounds (pengxianencins and cucurbitacins) were tentatively identified in the active extracts by UPLC-MS analysis and bioguided fractionation.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracts from leaves the and seeds of two interspecific Cucurbita genera (CLU01002 and COK01001) may contribute to the improvement of prevention and treatment strategies for CRC patients.

Exploring the transformative impact of traditional Chinese medicine on depression: Insights from animal models

Depression, a prevalent and complex mental health condition, presents a significant global health burden. Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders; deaths from it account for 14.3% of people worldwide. In recent years, the integration of complementary and alternative medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has gained attention as a potential avenue for addressing depression. This comprehensive review critically assesses the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. An in-depth look at different research studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses is used in this review to look into how TCM practices like herbal formulations, acupuncture, and mind-body practices work. The review looks at the quality of the evidence, the rigor of the methods, and any possible flaws in the current studies. This gives us an idea of where TCM stands right now in terms of treating depression. This comprehensive review aims to assess the efficacy of TCM interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. In order to learn more about their possible healing effects, the study also looks into how different types of TCM work, such as herbal formulas, acupuncture, and mind-body practices.

Terpenoids and Triterpenoid Saponins: Future Treatment for Depression

Background:

Depression is a crippling mental disorder with high prevalence around the world. The available clinical antidepressants have been effective to a certain degree, and different side effects have limited their application. This leads to the necessity of finding new treatments. Herbal plants are a substantial source of new drug leads. Terpenoid compounds are secondary metabolites representing an enormous category of structures found commonly in plants either as aglycones or attached to sugar moieties. These phytochemicals have been extensively studied for their various biological effects, and several have been investigated for potential therapeutic effects in the treatment of depression.

Aim:

This review aims to highlight the current knowledge on some terpenoids and triterpenoid saponins as potential antidepressant agents and their mechanisms of action, which may provide a better understanding of the potential antidepressant-like effects of these compounds and lead to the development of auspicious molecules with high efficiency and low side effects for depressive disorders treatment.

Methods:

A total of 16 plants containing antidepressant agents are reviewed in this article. 9 terpenoids and 23 triterpenoid saponins compounds have been reported to becommonly found in plant extracts, indicating potential use for depression. To enhance the datum of this review, the mechanism of action for the candidate compounds has been predicted via functional enrichment analysis.

Results:

The behavioural and neurochemical effects, as well as the possible mechanisms of action, have been evaluated in rodents by different predictive models of depression, mainly the acute stress models of the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The involved mechanisms include enhancing monoamine neurotransmitters, ameliorating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and normalizing the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Preclinical studies support the potential antidepressant activities of some terpenoid compounds. Furthermore, the functional enrichment analysis has confirmed the previous pre-clinical findings and predicted further mechanisms of action, including cellular calcium ion homeostasis, cellular response to dopamine, endocrine resistance, and regulating GABAergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and dopaminergic synapse, bedsides neurotransmitter reuptake.

Conclusion:

Terpenoids and triterpenoid saponins provide a large number of natural compounds. This review sheds light on terpenoids and triterpenoid saponins compounds with antidepressantlike activity and their potential mechanisms of action. However, more evaluations are required to confirm that these compounds are promising for discovering antidepressant drugs.

Cucurbitacin-B inhibits cancer cell migration by targeting mortalin and HDM2: computational and in vitro experimental evidence

Cancer metastasis, a highly complex process wherein cancer cells move from the primary site to other sites in the body, is a major hurdle in its therapeutics. A large array of synthetic chemotherapeutic molecules used for the treatment of metastatic cancers, besides being extremely expensive and unaffordable, are known to cause severe adverse effects leading to poor quality of life (QOL) of the patients. In this premise, natural compounds (considered safe, easily available and economic) that possess the potential to inhibit migration of cancer cells are deemed useful and hence are on demand. Cucurbitacin-B (19-(10→9β)-abeo-10-lanost-5-ene triterpene, called Cuc-B) is a steroid mostly found in plants of Cucurbitaceae family. It has been shown to possess anticancer activity although the molecular mechanism remains poorly defined. We present evidence that Cuc-B has the ability to interact with mortalin and HDM2 proteins that are enriched in cancer cells, suppress wild type p53 function and promote cancer cell migration. Computational analyses showed that Cuc-B interacts with mortalin similar to MKT077 and Withanone, both have been shown to reactivate p53 function and inhibit cell migration. Furthermore, Cuc-B interacted with HDM2 similar to Y30, a well-known inhibitor of HDM2. Experimental cell and molecular analyses demonstrated the downregulation of several proteins, critically involved in cell migration in Cuc-B (low non-toxic doses)-treated cancer cells and exhibited inhibition of cell migration. The data suggested that Cuc-B is a potential natural drug that warrants further mechanistic and clinical studies for its use in the management of metastatic cancers.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Potential of cucurbitacin as an anticancer drug

In Chinese medicine, the Cucurbitaceae family contains many compounds known as cucurbitacins, which have been categorized into 12 classes ranging from A to T and more than 200 derivatives. Cucurbitacins are a class of highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenoids with potent anticancer properties. The eight components of cucurbitacins with the strongest anticancer activity are cucurbitacins B, D, E, I, IIa, L-glucoside, Q, and R. Cucurbitacins have also been reported to suppress JAK-STAT 3, mTOR, VEGFR, Wnt/β-catenin, and MAPK signaling pathways, all of which are crucial for the survival and demise of cancer cells. In this paper, we review the progress in research on cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis, autophagy, cytoskeleton disruption, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cell proliferation, inhibition of invasion and migration, inhibition of angiogenesis, epigenetic alterations, and synergistic anticancer effects in tumor cells. Recent studies have identified cucurbitacins as promising molecules for therapeutic innovation with broad versatility in immune response. Thus, cucurbitacin is a promising class of anticancer agents that can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of many types of cancer.Therefore, based on the research reports in the past five years at home and abroad, we further summarize and review the structural characteristics, chemical and biological activities, and studies of cucurbitacins based on the previous studies to provide a reference for further development and utilization of cucurbitacins.

A key protein from Borrelia burgdorferi could stimulate cytokines in human microglial cells and inhibitory effects of Cucurbitacin IIa

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is an infectious disease of the nervous system caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) infection. However, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. We used recombinant BmpA (rBmpA) to stimulate human microglia cell HMC3, then collected the culture supernatant and extracted total RNA from cells, and used the supernatant for cytokine chip, then ELISA and qPCR technology were used to validate the results from cytokine chip. After rBmpA stimulation of microglia, 24 inflammation-related cytokines showed elevated expression. Among them, six cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, and CXCL10) increased significantly in mRNA transcription, three cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and CXCL10) concentrations in the cell supernatant increased significantly after the rBmpA stimulation, and CuIIa could inhibit expression of these cytokines. The BmpA can stimulate human microglia to produce large amounts of cytokines, leading to the occurrence of inflammation, which may be closely related to the development of LNB. CuIIa can inhibit BmpA-induced cytokine production in microglia, which may have potential therapeutic effects on LNB.

Pharmacokinetics and Biological Activity of Cucurbitacins

Cucurbitacins are a class of secondary metabolites initially isolated from the Cucurbitaceae family. They are important for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer biological actions. This review addresses pharmacokinetic parameters recently reported, including absorption, metabolism, distribution, and elimination phases of cucurbitacins. It includes recent studies of the molecular mechanisms of the biological activity of the most studied cucurbitacins and some derivatives, especially their anticancer capacity, to propose the integration of the pharmacokinetic profiles of cucurbitacins and the possibilities of their use. The main botanical genera and species of American origin that have been studied, and others whose chemo taxonomy makes them essential sources for the extraction of these metabolites, are summarized.

Comparative transcriptome analysis and identification of candidate genes involved in cucurbitacin IIa biosynthesis in Hemsleya macrosperma

Hemsleya macrosperma (H. macrosperma) is widely used in southwestern China as folk medicine with various bioactivities. Cucurbitacin IIa is the main active component in H. macrosperma and draws increased attention for its potential pharmacological activities. In order to reveal the mechanism of cucurbitacin IIa biosynthesis and regulation in H. macrosperma, transcriptome analysis was performed to compare differentially expressed genes in three tissues (root tuber, stem and leaf). A total of 47 946 unigenes were generated from these tissues and 55 unigenes were identified as candidate genes involved in triterpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Three homologous genes encoding squalene epoxidase (HmSE) were discovered and successfully expressed in a prokaryotic system. HmSE1 was found to be responsible for oxidization of squalene. In addition, several cytochrome P450s and transcription factors were predicted as candidates associated to cucurbitacin IIa biosynthesis. Notably, the expression profiles of those putative genes showed a positive correlation with elevated curcurbitacin IIa production in methyl jasmonate-elicited suspension cells of H. macrosperma., suggesting probable functions of the candidates on curcurbitacin IIa biosynthesis. These findings provide insights on cucurbitacin IIa biosynthesis and regulation in H. macrosperma.

Cucurbitacin E glucoside alleviates concanavalin A-induced hepatitis through enhancing SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 and inhibiting NF-ĸB/NLRP3 signaling pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cucurbitacins are highly oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenoids, that represent the major metabolites reported from C. colocynthis (L.) Schrad.. Cucurbitacin E glucoside (CuE) is a tetracyclic triterpene glycoside separated from Cucurbitaceae plants. CuE has potent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-tumor properties.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The current study aimed at examining the hepatoprotective effect of CuE against concanavalin A (Con A)-produced hepatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were intravenously administered Con A (15 mg/kg) to induce AIH. CuE was orally administered at two different doses for five days preceding Con A injection.

RESULTS

The results revealed that CuE pretreatment markedly attenuated the serum indices of hepatotoxicity and the severity of hepatic lesions. CuE depressed Con A-provoked increment in CD4⁺ T-cells in hepatic tissue. The antioxidant activity of CuE was evident through its ability to decrease markers of Con A-induced oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxyenonanal, and protein carbonyl) and intensified the antioxidants in the hepatic tissue (SOD, GSH, and TAC). CuE increased mRNA expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 as well as its binding capacity. Subsequently, CuE augmented mRNA expression of Nrf2 targeted genes as NQO1, GCL, and HO-1 and recovered its normal level. CuE inhibited the activation of NF-κB/downstream pro-inflammatory mediators signaling. Furthermore, CuE attenuated the mRNA expression of NLRP3 and its associated genes.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, these results demonstrated the remarkable hepatoprotective potential of CuE towards Con A-induced AIH which was mediated via suppression of oxidative stress, enhancing SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1, and prohibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling. CuE could be a candidate for hepatitis patients.

Novel Triterpenoid Alkaloids With Their Potential Cytotoxic Activity From the Roots of Siraitia grosvenorii

Four novel triterpenoid alkaloids, siragrosvenins A–D (1–4), and two new cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, siragrosvenins E–F (5, 6), together with eight known analogs (7−14), were isolated from the roots of Siraitia grosvenorii. Compounds 1−4 possessed a rare cucurbitane-type triterpenoid scaffold, featuring an extra pyrazine unit via the Strecker reaction in the cucurbitane framework. Compound 5 displayed a 6/6/6/5/6/5-fused polycyclic ring system, with an uncommon fused furan and pyran ring in the side chain. All the structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including HRESIMS, NMR, and X-ray crystallographic data. It is worth noting that the DP4⁺ analysis method was applied for the first time to determine the absolute configurations of the trihydroxybutyl moiety in the side chain of compounds 1–4. In vitro cytotoxicity screening found that compounds 4, 8, 9, 13, and 14 exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activities against three cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.44 to 9.99 μM. Siragrosvenin D shows remarkable cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cells. As a result, it inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and reduced their viability via the induction of G2/M phase arrest and significantly induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.