Induction of Apoptosis in Human Hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 Cells In Vitro by Psoralen from Psoralea corylifolia

Phytochemical and Bioactive Analysis of Extracted Brown Macroalgae (Dictyota implexa) Collected in Vietnam

Brown algae are considered a marine algae resource for human health. This study investigated ethanol extract's chemical composition and biological activity from brown algae Dictyota implexa. The extract from D. implexa was examined for total contents of quercetin, tannic acid, phenolic, flavonoid, polysaccharides, agar, and fucoidan, and the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and α-amylase inhibitory activities of the crude extract were determined. Results revealed the presence of a source of phenolic (85.95 ± 1.21 mg GAE/g of the sample), flavonoid (245.6 ± 2.83 mg QE/g of the sample), and tannin (172.179 mg/g DW) compounds in the extract. Evaluating antioxidant activity proved the ethanol extract of D. implexa possessed the highest activity on two testing methods of DPPH scavenging capacity and reducing power. Besides, the anti-inflammatory activity was potent in the extract with an IC50 value of 9.95 ± 1.51 μg/mL. Concerning antimicrobial activities, the ethanol extract of D. implexa (70 mg/mL) showed potential inhibitory ability against E. coli and B. cereus. Moreover, the algal extract displayed cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells and inhibited α-amylase activity with an IC50 value of 276.82 μg/mL. The current findings demonstrated that exploring novel natural resources offers a promising avenue for advancements in human health and economic well-being.

Anti-tumor effect and hepatotoxicity mechanisms of psoralen

In recent years, natural products have gradually become an important source for new drug development due to their advantages of multi-components, multi-targets, and good safety profiles. Psoralen, a furanocoumarin compound extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine psoralea corylifolia, is widely distributed among various plants. It has attracted widespread attention in the research community due to its pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Studies have shown that psoralen has broad spectrum anti-tumor activities, offering resistance to malignant tumors such as breast cancer, liver cancer, glioma, and osteosarcoma, making it a natural, novel potential antitumor drug. Psoralen mainly exerts its antitumor effects by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inhibiting tumor cell migration, and reversing multidrug resistance, presenting a wide application prospect in the field of antitumor therapy. With the deepening research on psoralea corylifolia, its safety has attracted attention, and reports on the hepatotoxicity of psoralen have gradually increased. Therefore, this article reviews recent studies on the mechanism of antitumor effects of psoralen and focuses on the molecular mechanisms of its hepatotoxicity, providing insights for the clinical development of low-toxicity, high-efficiency antitumor drugs and the safety of clinical medication.

Advancements in Utilizing Natural Compounds for Modulating Autophagy in Liver Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

Autophagy, an intrinsic catabolic mechanism that eliminates misfolded proteins, dysfunctional organelles, and lipid droplets, plays a vital function in energy balance and cytoplasmic quality control, in addition to maintaining cellular homeostasis. Liver cancer such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths globally and shows resistance to several anticancer drugs. Despite the rising incidence and poor prognosis of malignant HCC, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving this aggressive cancer remain unclear. Several natural compounds, such as phytochemicals of dietary and non-dietary origin, affect hepatocarcinogenesis signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo, which may help prevent and treat HCC cells. Current HCC cells treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, these standard therapies have substantial side effects, and combination therapy enhances side effects for an acceptable therapeutic benefit. Therefore, there is a need to develop treatment strategies for HCC cells that are more efficacious and have fewer adverse effects. Multiple genetic and epigenetic factors are responsible for the HCC cells to become resistant to standard treatment. Autophagy contributes to maintain cellular homeostasis, which activates autophagy for biosynthesis and mitochondrial regulation and recycling. Therefore, modifying autophagic signaling would present a promising opportunity to identify novel therapies to treat HCC cells resistant to current standard treatments. This comprehensive review illustrates how natural compounds demonstrate their anti-hepatocellular carcinoma function through autophagy.

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Aspects of Psoralen - A Bioactive Furanocoumarin from Psoralea corylifolia Linn

Since long ago, medicinal plants have played a vital role in drug discovery. Being blessed and rich in chemovars with diverse scaffolds, they have unique characteristics of evolving based on the need. The World Health Organization also mentions that medicinal plants remain at the center for meeting primary healthcare needs as the population relies on them. The plant-derived natural products have remained an attractive choice for drug development owing to their specific biological functions relevant to human health and also the high degree of potency and specificity they offer. In this context, one such esteemed phytoconstituent with inexplicable biological potential is psoralen, a furanocoumarin. Psoralen was the first constituent isolated from the plant Psoralea corylifolia, commonly known as Bauchi. Despite being a life-saver for psoriasis, vitiligo, and leukoderma, it also showed immense anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoporotic potential. This review brings attention to the possible application of psoralen as an attractive target for rational drug design and medicinal chemistry. It discusses the various methods for the total synthesis of psoralen, its extraction, the pharmacological spectrum of psoralen, and the derivatization done on psoralen.

Psoralea corylifolia L.: a comprehensive review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, quality control and pharmacokinetics

Psoralea corylifolia L. (PCL), referred to as "Bu-gu-zhi" in Chinese, has great medicinal values since ancient times. PCL is the dried ripe fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L., which has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of kidney-yang deficiency, enuresis and urinary frequency, chills and pain of the waist and knees, dawn diarrhea and vitiligo. In this paper, a systematic of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, quality control and pharmacokinetics of PCL was presented, along with future research directions. According to the results, PCL contains approximately 163 chemical components, including coumarins, flavonoids, monoterpene phenols, benzofurans, glycosides, lipids, fatty acids, and volatile oils. PCL and its active ingredients have a variety of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor, antiosteoporosis, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory. Further study of quality control standards and potential mechanisms of PCL is also needed. In addition, more toxicological studies will also contribute to the progress of clinical trials.

Recent Progress in Understanding the Action of Natural Compounds at Novel Therapeutic Drug Targets for the Treatment of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death following lung and stomach cancers. As a highly lethal disease, liver cancer is diagnosed frequently in less developed countries. Natural compounds extracted from herbs, animals and natural materials have been adopted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices and reported to be effective in the development of new medications for the treatment of diseases. It is important to focus on the mechanisms of action of natural compounds against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in terms of cell cycle regulation, apoptosis induction, autophagy mediation and cell migration and invasion. In this review, we characterize novel representative natural compounds according to their pharmacologic effects based on recently published studies. The aim of this review is to summarize and explore novel therapeutic drug targets of natural compounds, which could accelerate the discovery of new anticancer drugs.

A Review of the Pharmacological Properties of Psoralen

Psoralen is the principal bioactive component in the dried fruits of Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik (syn. Psoralea corylifolia L), termed "Buguzhi" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Recent studies have demonstrated that psoralen displays multiple bioactive properties, beneficial for the treatment of osteoporosis, tumors, viruses, bacteria, and inflammation. The present review focuses on the research evidence relating to the properties of psoralen gathered over recent years. Firstly, multiple studies have demonstrated that psoralen exerts strong anti-osteoporotic effects via regulation of osteoblast/osteoclast/chondrocyte differentiation or activation due to the participation in multiple molecular mechanisms of the wnt/β-catenin, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)/apoptosis signaling kinase 1 (ASK1)/c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the Protein Kinase B(AKT)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) axis, and the expression of miR-488, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In addition, the antitumor properties of psoralen are associated with the induction of ER stress-related cell death via enhancement of PERK: Pancreatic Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase (PERK)/activating transcription factor (ATF), 78kD glucose-regulated protein (GRP78)/C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and 94kD glucose-regulated protein (GRP94)/CHOP signaling, and inhibition of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) or ATPase that overcomes multidrug resistance. Furthermore, multiple articles have shown that the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of psoralen are a result of its interaction with viral polymerase (Pol), destroying the formation of biofilm, and regulating the activation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), interleukin 4/5/6/8/12/13 (IL-4/5/6/8/12/13), GATA-3, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Finally, the toxic effects and mechanisms of action of psoralen have also been reviewed.

The mechanism of Psoralen and Isopsoralen hepatotoxicity as revealed by hepatic gene expression profiling in SD rats

BACKGROUND

The main bioactive components of Fructus psoraleae, such as psoralen and isopsoralen, are known to be hepatotoxic. However, its underlying mechanism is to be elucidated.

METHODS

To address this, SD rats were randomly divided into control group, 60 mg/kg psoralen group and 60 mg/kg isopsoralen group. Blood was collected to detect serum biochemical indices. RNA was extracted from liver samples, and then, cDNA gene expression profiles were analysed.

RESULTS

Psoralen administration significantly up-regulated serum AST (aspartate aminotransferase) while addition of isopsoralen increased serum ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST, TBA (total bile acid) and TG (total triglyceride) levels. A total of 172 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were acquired between psoralen group and control group while 884 DEGs were screened between isopsoralen group and control group. Chemical Carcinogenesis and Metabolism of Xenobiotics by Cytochrome P450 were the two most significantly enriched pathways as revealed by DEGs. Liver was the most impacted organ, and endoplasmic reticulum was the most impacted organelle in subcellular level. Finally, some kinds of cancers and cytochrome p450 oxidoreductase deficiency were predicted. Taken together, psoralen and isopsoralen might cause hepatotoxicity mainly through cytochrome P450 metabolism of xenobiotics. Furthermore, Cyp1a1, Cyp1a2, Gstm1 and Akr7a3 worked as key genes in hepatotoxicity. Moreover, endoplasmic reticulum was the main target subcellular structure in hepatotoxicity induced by psoralen and isopsoralen.

Psoralen inhibits malignant proliferation and induces apoptosis through triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress in human SMMC7721 hepatoma cells

BACKGROUND

Psoralen is a coumarin-like and coumarin-related benzofuran glycoside, which is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients with kidney and spleen-yang deficiency symptom. Psoralen has been reported to show estrogen-like activity, antioxidant activity, osteoblastic proliferation accelerating activity, antitumor effects and antibacterial activity. However, the antitumor mechanism of psoralen is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of psoralen in human hepatoma cell line SMMC7721 and the mechanism of antitumor effects.

RESULTS

Psoralen inhibited proliferation of SMMC7721 in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and promoted apoptosis. Further, psoralen activated the ER stress signal pathway, including the expansion of endoplasmic reticulum, increasing the mRNA levels of GRP78, DDIT3, ATF4, XBP1, GADD34 and the protein levels of GDF15, GRP78, IRE1α, XBP-1s in a time-dependent manner. Psoralen induces cell cycle arrest at G1 phase by enhancing CyclinD1 and reducing CyclinE1 expression. Moreover, TUDC couldn't inhibit the psoralen-induced ER stress in SMMC7721 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Psoralen can inhibit the proliferation of SMMC7721 cells and induce ER stress response to induce cell apoptosis, suggesting that psoralen may represent a novel therapeutic option for the prevention and treatment hepatocellular carcinoma.

Genus Psoralea: A review of the traditional and modern uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Psoralea (Fabaceae) harbours 105 accepted species that are extensively used by local peoples and medicinal practitioners of China, India, and other countries for treatment of tooth decay, psoriasis, leucoderma, leprosy, kidney problems, tuberculosis, indigestion, constipation and impotence. Presently, pharmacological research reports are available on only few species namely Bituminaria bituminosa (Syn: P. bituminosa), P. canescens, P. corylifolia, P. esculenta, P. plicata and P. glandulosa which are valued for their chemical constituents and traditional uses.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review article provides explicit information on traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of selected Psoralea species. The possible trends and perspectives for future research on these plants are also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An extensive and systematic review of the extant literature was carried out, and the data under various sections were identified using a computerized bibliographic search via the PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, EMBASE, INMEDPLAN, NATTS as well as several websites.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 291 bioactive compounds from 06 species of genus Psoralea have been isolated and characterized. However, P. bituminosa alone possess nearly 150 compounds. These bioactive compounds belong to different chemical classes, including flavonoids, coumarins, furanocoumarins, chalcones, quinines, terpenoids and some others due to which these species exhibit significant anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-helmintic, anti-diabetic, diuretic, hepatoprotective, anti-cancer and anti-tumor activities. P. corylifolia L. (Babchi), a Chinese traditional medicinal plant has been used in traditional medicine for many decades for its healing properties against numerous skin diseases such as leprosy, psoriasis and leucoderma.

CONCLUSIONS

The in vitro studies and in vivo models have provided a simple bio-scientific justification for various ethnopharmacological uses of Psoralea species. From the toxicological perspective, the root, leaf, and seed extracts and their preparations have been proven to be safe when consumed in the recommended doses. But, meticulous studies on the pharmaceutical standardization, mode of action of the active constituents, and sustainable conservation of Psoralea species are needed, to meet the growing demands of the pharmaceutical industries, and to fully exploit their preventive and therapeutic potentials.

Psoralea corylifolia L: Ethnobotanical, biological, and chemical aspects: A review

Psoralea corylifolia L. (Leguminosae) is a well-known traditional medicinal plant used from ancient times for treatment of various ailments. It is widely distributed and an important part of therapeutics in Ayurveda and in Chinese medicines. The aim of this review is to present comprehensive and most up to date report on its ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, clinical, phytochemical, and side effects. Studies on the ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, clinical, phytochemical, and side effects of P. corylifolia were published until year 2017 and were searched using various scientific databases. The scientific literature searched revealed that these plant species has been extensively investigated in vivo and in vitro for various biological and phytochemical studies. It has cardiotonic, vasodilator, pigmentor, antitumor, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and anti-helminthic properties and locally used for alopecia, inflammation, leukoderma, leprosy, psoriasis, and eczema. So far, about a hundred bioactive compounds have been isolated from seeds and fruits, and most important compounds identified belongs to coumarins, flavonoids, and meroterpenes groups. This review article summarized the most updated scientific literature on bioactive phytochemical and biological activities of P. corylifolia. This article will be a useful addition to providing information for future research, and more standard clinical trials are needed for the plant to be used as therapeutic agent.

Psoralen Inhibited Apoptosis of Osteoporotic Osteoblasts by Modulating IRE1-ASK1-JNK Pathway

Osteoporosis is a common disease causing fracture in older populations. Abnormal apoptosis of osteoblasts contributes to the genesis of osteoporosis. Inhibiting apoptosis of osteoblasts provides a promising strategy to prevent osteoporosis. The proliferation of osteoblasts isolated from osteoporotic patients or healthy subjects was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin V/PI assay. Protein expression was measured by western blot. The proliferation of osteoblasts isolated from osteoporotic patients was inhibited and the apoptosis level of these cells was higher than the osteoblasts from healthy subjects. Incubation with psoralen or estradiol significantly enhanced the proliferation and decreased the apoptosis level of osteoporotic osteoblasts. Western blot demonstrated that psoralen or estradiol treatment downregulated the expression of IRE1, p-ASK, p-JNK, and Bax. Meanwhile, expression of Bcl-2 was upregulated. Pretreatment by IRE1 agonist tunicamycin or JNK agonist anisomycin attenuated the effect of psoralen on osteoporotic osteoblasts. Psoralen inhibited apoptosis of osteoporotic osteoblasts by regulating IRE1-ASK1-JNK pathway.

The Chemical Constituents and Bioactivities of Psoralea corylifolia Linn.: A Review

Psoralea corylifolia Linn. (P. corylifolia) is an important medicinal plant with thousands of years of clinical application. It has been widely used in many traditional Chinese medicine formulas for the treatment of various diseases such as leucoderma and other skin diseases, cardiovascular diseases, nephritis, osteoporosis, and cancer. Phytochemical studies indicated that coumarins, flavonoids, and meroterpenes are the main components of P. corylifolia, and most of these components are present in the seeds or fruits. The extracts and active components of P. corylifolia demonstrated multiple biological activities, including estrogenic, antitumor, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, osteoblastic, and hepatoprotective activities. This paper systematically summarized literatures on the chemical constituents and biological activities of P. corylifolia, which provided useful information for the further research and development toward this potent medicinal plant.

Chinese herbal medicine Xiaoji decoction inhibited growth of lung cancer cells through AMPKα-mediated inhibition of Sp1 and DNA methyltransferase 1

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Xiaoji decoction (XJD), which was considered as a Chinese herbal prescription, has been used for cancer treatment, especially lung cancer, for decades to improve quality of life and prolong the patient survival. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential have not been well elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cell viability was examined by MTT assays. The phosphorylation and expression of AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα), DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and transcription factor Sp1 proteins were assessed by Western Blot. Exogenous expression of Sp1 and DNMT1 were performed by transient transfection methods. The effects of XJD on the growth of xenograft tumors were evaluated by in vivo bioluminescence imaging.

RESULTS

We showed that XJD inhibited growth of human non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells in vitro. We also found that XJD increased phosphorylation of AMPKα and inhibited protein expression of DNTM1, the latter was not observed in the presence of the inhibitor of AMPK (compound C). Overexpression of DNTM1 reversed the effect of XJD on cell growth. In addition, XJD decreased Sp1 protein expression, which was eliminated by compound C. Conversely, exogenous expressed Sp1 abrogated XJD-inhibited DNTM1 protein expression. Interestingly, exogenous expression of DNMT1 feedback antagonized the XJD-induced phosphorylation of AMPKα. In in vivo studies, we found that XJD inhibited tumor growth in xenograft nude mice model, which was accompanied by induction of phosphorylation of AMPKα and suppression of DNMT1 protein from xenograft tumors.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that XJD inhibits NSCLC cell growth via AMPKα-mediated inhibition of transcription of Sp1, followed by the reduction of DNMT1 expression both in vitro and in vivo. The negative feedback regulation loop of AMPKα further demonstrates the critical role of DNMT1 in mediating the overall effects of XJD in this process. This study unveils novel molecular mechanism by which XJD controls NSCLC cell growth.