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Anestopoulos I, Paraskevaidis I, Kyriakou S, Giova LE, Trafalis DT, Botaitis S, Franco R, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Isothiocyanates Potentiate Tazemetostat-Induced Apoptosis by Modulating the Expression of Apoptotic Genes, Members of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2, and Levels of Tri-Methylating Lysine 27 at Histone 3 in Human Malignant Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2745. [PMID: 38473991 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we utilized an in vitro model consisting of human malignant melanoma as well as non-tumorigenic immortalized keratinocyte cells with the aim of characterizing the therapeutic effectiveness of the clinical epigenetic drug Tazemetostat alone or in combination with various isothiocyanates. In doing so, we assessed markers of cell viability, apoptotic induction, and expression levels of key proteins capable of mediating the therapeutic response. Our data indicated, for the first time, that Tazemetostat caused a significant decrease in viability levels of malignant melanoma cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner via the induction of apoptosis, while non-malignant keratinocytes were more resistant. Moreover, combinatorial treatment protocols caused a further decrease in cell viability, together with higher apoptotic rates. In addition, a significant reduction in the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) members [e.g., Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2), Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED), and suppressor of zeste 12 (SUZ12)] and tri-methylating lysine 27 at Histone 3 (H3K27me3) protein expression levels was observed, at least partially, under specific combinatorial exposure conditions. Reactivation of major apoptotic gene targets was determined at much higher levels in combinatorial treatment protocols than Tazemetostat alone, known to be involved in the induction of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis. Overall, we developed an optimized experimental therapeutic platform aiming to ensure the therapeutic effectiveness of Tazemetostat in malignant melanoma while at the same time minimizing toxicity against neighboring non-tumorigenic keratinocyte cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Anestopoulos
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, Ayios Dometios, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Ioannis Paraskevaidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, Ayios Dometios, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Sotiris Kyriakou
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, Ayios Dometios, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Lambrini E Giova
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, Ayios Dometios, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Dimitrios T Trafalis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Sotiris Botaitis
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University Hospital, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Rodrigo Franco
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
- Redox Biology Centre, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Aglaia Pappa
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Mihalis I Panayiotidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, 6 Iroon Avenue, Ayios Dometios, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
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Rungratanawanich W, Ballway JW, Wang X, Won KJ, Hardwick JP, Song BJ. Post-translational modifications of histone and non-histone proteins in epigenetic regulation and translational applications in alcohol-associated liver disease: Challenges and research opportunities. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 251:108547. [PMID: 37838219 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation is a process that takes place through adaptive cellular pathways influenced by environmental factors and metabolic changes to modulate gene activity with heritable phenotypic variations without altering the DNA sequences of many target genes. Epigenetic regulation can be facilitated by diverse mechanisms: many different types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone and non-histone nuclear proteins, DNA methylation, altered levels of noncoding RNAs, incorporation of histone variants, nucleosomal positioning, chromatin remodeling, etc. These factors modulate chromatin structure and stability with or without the involvement of metabolic products, depending on the cellular context of target cells or environmental stimuli, such as intake of alcohol (ethanol) or Western-style high-fat diets. Alterations of epigenetics have been actively studied, since they are frequently associated with multiple disease states. Consequently, explorations of epigenetic regulation have recently shed light on the pathogenesis and progression of alcohol-associated disorders. In this review, we highlight the roles of various types of PTMs, including less-characterized modifications of nuclear histone and non-histone proteins, in the epigenetic regulation of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and other disorders. We also describe challenges in characterizing specific PTMs and suggest future opportunities for basic and translational research to prevent or treat ALD and many other disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiramon Rungratanawanich
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jacob W Ballway
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kyoung-Jae Won
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA
| | - James P Hardwick
- Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA.
| | - Byoung-Joon Song
- Section of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Kyriakou S, Potamiti L, Demosthenous N, Amery T, Stewart K, Winyard PG, Franco R, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. A Naturally Derived Watercress Flower-Based Phenethyl Isothiocyanate-Enriched Extract Induces the Activation of Intrinsic Apoptosis via Subcellular Ultrastructural and Ca 2+ Efflux Alterations in an In Vitro Model of Human Malignant Melanoma. Nutrients 2023; 15:4044. [PMID: 37764828 PMCID: PMC10537737 DOI: 10.3390/nu15184044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to (i) extract isolated fractions of watercress flowers enriched in polyphenols, phenethyl isothiocyanate and glucosinolates and (ii) characterize the anticancer mode of action of non-lethal, sub-lethal and lethal concentrations of the most potent extract fraction in primary (A375) and metastatic (COLO-679) melanoma cells as well as non-tumorigenic immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Cytotoxicity was assessed via the Alamar Blue assay, whereas ultrastructural alterations in mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum were determined via transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was determined using Mito-MP dye, whereas apoptosis was evaluated through the activation of caspases-3, -8 and -9. Among all extract fractions, the phenethyl isothiocyanate-enriched one (PhEF) possessed significant cytotoxicity against A375 and COLO-679 cells, while HaCaT cells remained relatively resistant at sub-lethal and lethal concentrations. Additionally, ultrastructural subcellular alterations associated with apoptosis were observed by means of increased mitochondrial area and perimeter, decreased cristae density and a shorter distance of the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria, all taking place during "early" time points (2-4 h) of exposure. Moreover, PhEF induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization associated with "late" time points (24 h) of exposure, thereby leading to the activation of intrinsic apoptosis. Finally, the inhibition of cytosolic Ca2+ efflux reduced levels of caspases-9 and -3 activity, suggesting the involvement of Ca2+ efflux in modulating the activation of intrinsic apoptosis. To conclude, our data demonstrate an association of "early" ultrastructural alterations in mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum with the "late" induction of intrinsic apoptosis via the modulation of Ca2+ efflux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotiris Kyriakou
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (S.K.); (L.P.); (N.D.)
| | - Louiza Potamiti
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (S.K.); (L.P.); (N.D.)
| | - Nikoletta Demosthenous
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (S.K.); (L.P.); (N.D.)
| | - Tom Amery
- The Watercress Company, Dorchester DT2 8QY, UK;
| | - Kyle Stewart
- Watercress Research Limited, Exeter EX5 2GE, UK; (K.S.); (P.G.W.)
| | - Paul G. Winyard
- Watercress Research Limited, Exeter EX5 2GE, UK; (K.S.); (P.G.W.)
| | - Rodrigo Franco
- Redox Biology Centre, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA;
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Aglaia Pappa
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece;
| | - Mihalis I. Panayiotidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (S.K.); (L.P.); (N.D.)
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Shoaib S, Ansari MA, Ghazwani M, Hani U, Jamous YF, Alali Z, Wahab S, Ahmad W, Weir SA, Alomary MN, Yusuf N, Islam N. Prospective Epigenetic Actions of Organo-Sulfur Compounds against Cancer: Perspectives and Molecular Mechanisms. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030697. [PMID: 36765652 PMCID: PMC9913804 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Major epigenetic alterations, such as chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, and miRNA regulation, have gained greater attention and play significant roles in oncogenesis, representing a new paradigm in our understanding of cancer susceptibility. These epigenetic changes, particularly aberrant promoter hypermethylation, abnormal histone acetylation, and miRNA dysregulation, represent a set of epigenetic patterns that contribute to inappropriate gene silencing at every stage of cancer progression. Notably, the cancer epigenome possesses various HDACs and DNMTs, which participate in the histone modifications and DNA methylation. As a result, there is an unmet need for developing the epigenetic inhibitors against HDACs and DNMTs for cancer therapy. To date, several epigenetically active synthetic inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases have been developed. However, a growing body of research reports that most of these synthetic inhibitors have significant side effects and a narrow window of specificity for cancer cells. Targeting tumor epigenetics with phytocompounds that have the capacity to modulate abnormal DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and miRNAs expression is one of the evolving strategies for cancer prevention. Encouragingly, there are many bioactive phytochemicals, including organo-sulfur compounds that have been shown to alter the expression of key tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and oncogenic miRNAs through modulation of DNA methylation and histones in cancer. In addition to vitamins and microelements, dietary phytochemicals such as sulforaphane, PEITC, BITC, DADS, and allicin are among a growing list of naturally occurring anticancer agents that have been studied as an alternative strategy for cancer treatment and prevention. Moreover, these bioactive organo-sulfur compounds, either alone or in combination with other standard cancer drugs or phytochemicals, showed promising results against many cancers. Here, we particularly summarize and focus on the impact of specific organo-sulfur compounds on DNA methylation and histone modifications through targeting the expression of different DNMTs and HDACs that are of particular interest in cancer therapy and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoaib Shoaib
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202001, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohammad Azam Ansari
- Department of Epidemic Disease Research, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Ghazwani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Umme Hani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yahya F. Jamous
- Vaccine and Bioprocessing Center, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zahraa Alali
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin 31991, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wasim Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy, Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, Dammam 34222, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sydney A. Weir
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Mohammad N. Alomary
- National Centre for Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (M.N.A.); (N.I.)
| | - Nabiha Yusuf
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Najmul Islam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202001, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Correspondence: (M.N.A.); (N.I.)
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Kyriakou S, Michailidou K, Amery T, Stewart K, Winyard PG, Trafalis DT, Franco R, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Polyphenolics, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates profiling of aerial parts of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:998755. [PMID: 36457522 PMCID: PMC9706002 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.998755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a rich source of secondary metabolites with disease-preventing and/or health-promoting properties. Herein, we have utilized extraction procedures to isolate fractions of polyphenols, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates to determine their identification, and quantification. In doing so, we have utilized reproducible analytical methodologies based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry by either positive or negative ion mode. Due to the instability and volatility of isothiocyanates, we followed an ammonia derivatization protocol which converts them into respective ionizable thiourea derivatives. The analytes' content distribution map was created on watercress flowers, leaves and stems. We have demonstrated that watercress contains significantly higher levels of gluconasturtiin, phenethyl isothiocyanate, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and isorhamnetin, among others, with their content decreasing from flowers (82.11 ± 0.63, 273.89 ± 0.88, 1459.30 ± 12.95 and 289.40 ± 1.37 ng/g of dry extract respectively) to leaves (32.25 ± 0.74, 125.02 ± 0.52, 1197.86 ± 4.24 and 196.47 ± 3.65 ng/g of det extract respectively) to stems (9.20 ± 0.11, 64.7 ± 0.9, 41.02 ± 0.18, 65.67 ± 0.84 ng/g of dry extract respectivbely). Pearson's correlation analysis has shown that the content of isothiocyanates doesn't depend only on the bioconversion of individual glucosinolates but also on other glucosinolates of the same group. Overall, we have provided comprehensive analytical data of the major watercress metabolites thereby providing an opportunity to exploit different parts of watercress for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotiris Kyriakou
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kyriaki Michailidou
- Biostatistics Unit, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Tom Amery
- The Watercress Company, Dorchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kyle Stewart
- Watercress Research Limited, Devon, United Kingdom
| | | | - Dimitrios T. Trafalis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Rodrigo Franco
- Redox Biology Centre, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Aglaia Pappa
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Mihalis I. Panayiotidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Anticarcinogenic Effects of Isothiocyanates on Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213834. [PMID: 36430307 PMCID: PMC9693344 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for about 90% of cases. Sorafenib, lenvatinib, and the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab are considered first-line treatments for advanced HCC. However, clinical application of these drugs has also caused some adverse reactions such as hypertension, elevated aspartate aminotransferases, and proteinuria. At present, natural products and their derivatives have drawn more and more attention due to less side effects as cancer treatments. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are one type of hydrolysis products from glucosinolates (GLSs), secondary plant metabolites found exclusively in cruciferous vegetables. Accumulating evidence from encouraging in vitro and in vivo animal models has demonstrated that ITCs have multiple biological activities, especially their potentially health-promoting activities (antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic effects). In this review, we aim to comprehensively summarize the chemopreventive, anticancer, and chemosensitizative effects of ITCs on HCC, and explain the underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Lukose CC, Anestopoulos I, Mantso T, Bowen L, Panayiotidis MI, Birkett M. Thermal activation of Ti(1-x)Au(x) thin films with enhanced hardness and biocompatibility. Bioact Mater 2022; 15:426-445. [PMID: 35386358 PMCID: PMC8958427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lifetime of orthopaedic implants can be extended by coating the softer Ti6Al4V alloy with harder biocompatible thin films. In this work, thin films of Ti(1-x)Au(x) are grown on Ti6Al4V and glass substrates by magnetron sputtering in the entire x = 0–1 range, before their key biomechanical properties are performance tuned by thermal activation. For the first time, we explore the effect of in-situ substrate heating versus ex-situ post-deposition heat-treatment, on development of mechanical and biocompatibility performance in Ti–Au films. A ∼250% increase in hardness is achieved for Ti–Au films compared to bulk Ti6Al4V and a ∼40% improvement from 8.8 GPa as-grown to 11.9 and 12.3 GPa with in-situ and ex-situ heat-treatment respectively, is corelated to changes in structural, morphological and chemical properties, providing insights into the origins of super-hardness in the Ti rich regions of these materials. X-ray diffraction reveals that as-grown films are in nanocrystalline states of Ti–Au intermetallic phases and thermal activation leads to emergence of mechanically hard Ti–Au intermetallics, with films prepared by in-situ substrate heating having enhanced crystalline quality. Surface morphology images show clear changes in grain size, shape and surface roughness following thermal activation, while elemental analysis reveals that in-situ substrate heating is better for development of oxide free Ti3Au β-phases. All tested Ti–Au films are non-cytotoxic against L929 mouse fibroblast cells, while extremely low leached ion concentrations confirm their biocompatibility. With peak hardness performance tuned to >12 GPa and excellent biocompatibility, Ti–Au films have potential as a future coating technology for load bearing medical implants. Combined study on biocompatibility and mechanical performance of Ti–Au films. Reports on effect of varying of thermal activation on quality of Ti–Au film structure. Clear development of super-hard β-Ti3Au phase with in-situ thermal activation. Peak hardness value > 12 GPa attained for Ti rich films with ex-situ thermal activation. All Ti–Au films highly biocompatible with safe cytotoxic profile against L929 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecil Cherian Lukose
- Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ioannis Anestopoulos
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Theodora Mantso
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Leon Bowen
- Department of Physics, G.J. Russell Microscopy Facility, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Mihalis I. Panayiotidis
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
- The Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Martin Birkett
- Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Corresponding author.
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Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Lipophilic Fractions of Edible and Non-Edible Parts of Nasturtium officinale (watercress) in a Model of Human Malignant Melanoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020141. [PMID: 35215254 PMCID: PMC8879096 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Watercress is an enriched source of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), among other phytochemicals, with an antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to (i) chemically characterize and (ii) biologically evaluate the profile of the main health-promoting compounds contained in edible (i.e., mixture of leaves and lateral buds) and non-edible (i.e., stems) parts of watercress in an in vitro model of malignant melanoma consisting of human malignant melanoma (A375), non-melanoma (A431) and keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The extraction of the main constituents of watercress was performed by subjecting the freeze-dried edible and non-edible samples through different extraction protocols, whereas their concentration was obtained utilizing analytical methodologies. In addition, cell viability was evaluated by the Alamar Blue assay, whereas levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis were determined by commercially available kits. The edible watercress sample contained a higher amount of various nutrients and phytochemicals in the hexane fraction compared to the non-edible one, as evidenced by the presence of PEITC, phenolics, flavonoids, pigments, ascorbic acid, etc. The cytotoxicity potential of the edible watercress sample in the hexane fraction was considerably higher than the non-edible one in A375 cells, whereas A431 and HaCaT cells appeared to be either more resistant or minimally affected, respectively. Finally, levels of oxidative stress and apoptotic induction were increased in both watercress samples, but the magnitude of the induction was much higher in the edible than the non-edible watercress samples. Herein, we provide further evidence documenting the potential development of watercress extracts (including watercress waste by-products) as promising anti-cancer agent(s) against malignant melanoma cells.
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