Antiproliferative activity and energy calculations of a new triterpene isolated from the palm tree Acrocomia totai

Discovery of plant-derived anti-tumor natural products: Potential leads for anti-tumor drug discovery

Natural products represent a paramount source of novel drugs. Numerous plant-derived natural products have demonstrated potent anti-tumor properties, thereby garnering considerable interest in their potential as anti-tumor drugs. This review compiles an overview of 242 recently discovered natural products, spanning the period from 2018 to the present. These natural products, which include 69 terpenoids, 42 alkaloids, 39 flavonoids, 21 steroids, 14 phenylpropanoids, 5 quinolines and 52 other compounds, are characterized by their respective chemical structures, anti-tumor activities, and mechanisms of action. By providing an essential reference and fresh insights, this review aims to support and inspire researchers engaged in the fields of natural products and anti-tumor drug discovery.

Cytotoxic flavone-C-glycosides from the leaves of Dypsis pembana (H.E.Moore) Beentje & J.Dransf., Arecaceae: in vitro and molecular docking studies

BACKGROUND

Cancer poses a health threat, with an increased incidence worldwide. Thus, it is essential to develop new natural anticancer agents. Dypsis pembana (H.E.Moore) Beentje & J.Dransf (DP) is an ornamental plant belonging to the family Arecaceae. This study aimed to isolate and identify phytoconstituents from the leaves of this plant and evaluate their in vitro cytotoxic activities.

METHODS

Different chromatographic techniques were applied to fractionate the hydro-alcoholic extract of DP and separate the major phytoconstituents. The isolated compounds were structurally elucidated based on their physical and spectroscopic data. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the crude extract and fractions thereof were evaluated against human colon carcinoma (HCT-116), human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) cell lines via MTT assay. Moreover, selected isolates were tested against HepG-2 cell line. Molecular docking analysis was performed to investigate the interactions of these compounds with two potential targets, the human topoisomerase IIα and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 enzymes.

RESULTS

Thirteen diverse compounds were reported for the first time from DP, providing significant chemotaxonomic biomarkers. Among tested compounds, vicenin-II (7) was the most cytotoxic against HepG-2 cell line, with an IC₅₀ value of 14.38 µg/mL, followed by isovitexin (13) (IC₅₀ of 15.39 µg/mL). These experimental findings were complemented by molecular docking, which demonstrated that vicenin-II exhibited superior enzyme-binding affinities to the studied vital targets and shed light on the structure-activity relationships among the investigated flavone-C-glycosides members.

CONCLUSION

The phytochemical profile of DP was characterized for the first time, reflecting chemotaxonomic data about the concerned species, genus, or even the family. Biological and computational findings revealed that vicenin-II and isovitexin are possible lead structures as inhibitors of the human topoisomerase IIα and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 enzymes.