Physalin B inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in undifferentiated human gastric cancer HGC-27 cells

The chemopreventive effects of native Brazilian plants on stomach cancer: A review of the last 25 years

Stomach cancer (SC) is the fifth most prevalent and deathly type of cancer worldwide. This is a multifactorial disease, and its development can be influenced by both genetic factors and dietary habits. On the other hand, a regular consumption of fruit and vegetables rich in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemopreventive effects on SC. Brazil, which has a vast plant diversity, appears to be a promising scenario for investigating species with potential anti-tumor action. Thus, the objective of this review is to present and discuss the chemopreventive aspects of native Brazilian species in SC. Less-explored fractions of native plants, such as açaí (Euterpe oleracea), araçá-do-campo (Psidium guineense), yellow araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine), cacao (Theobroma cacao), coriander (Eryngium foetidum), physalis (Physalis angulata), guava (Psidium guajava), jambu (Acmella oleracea), pitanga (Eugenia uniflora), and ubaia (Eugenia patrisii), have demonstrated the ability to slow down the progression of the disease, indicating suppression of cell proliferation and survival, induction of apoptosis, and regulation of the cell cycle, despite showing not mechanism of action in the great majority of these studies. Although, still little studied, Brazilian plant matrices could show a promising impact against SC.

Untargeted Chemical Profile, Antioxidant, and Enzyme Inhibition Activity of Physalis angulata L. from the Peruvian Amazon: A Contribution to the Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential

Physalis angulata is a plant of great value in traditional medicine known for its content of bioactive compounds, such as physalins and withanolides, which possess diverse biological activities. In this study, the chemical profile, antioxidant activity, and enzyme inhibition capacity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts obtained from the root, stem, leaves, calyx, and fruits of P. angulata collected in Peru were evaluated. A total of forty-two compounds were detected in the extracts using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis. In vitro analyses revealed that leaf extracts contained the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, while leaf and fruit extracts showed the best results in FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS antioxidant tests; on the other hand, inhibition of AChE, BChE, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase enzymes was variable, but calyx and fruit extracts showed higher effectiveness. In silico analyses indicated that the compounds physagulin A, physagulin F, physagulide P, physalin B, and withaminimin showed stable interactions and favorable binding affinities with the catalytic sites of the enzymes studied. These results confirm the pharmacological potential of extracts and compounds derived from different organs of P. angulata, suggesting their promising use in treating diseases related to the central nervous system and metabolic syndrome.

Withaphysalin Derivatives from Iochroma arborescens Induce Antiproliferative and Antimigratory Activities in vitro

Withanolides are steroidal lactones commonly found in plants of the Solanaceae family that have significant medicinal value. In this study, three withanolides extracted from Iochroma arborescens leaves were isolated and characterized. These included withaphysalin F (3: ) and two newly identified epimeric compounds: 18R- and 18S-O-methyl-withaphysalin F (1: and 2: ). Their structures were elucidated by NMR, IR, MS, CD, and X-ray diffraction analysis, and their potential against cell proliferation and migration was investigated. The cytotoxic assay revealed activity against different tumor and non-tumor cell lines. (18S)-O-methyl-withaphysalin F (2: ) presented cell death effects after at least 6 hours of exposure. MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed to 0.06 and 0.6 µM of (18S)-O-methyl-withaphysalin F (2: ), and reductions in cell adhesion, migration, and clonogenicity were observed. Morphological analysis revealed negative regulation in filopodia, salience, and roughness, as well as alterations in cellular microarchitecture. These results provide clues as to the effects of (18S)-O-methyl-withaphysalin F (2: ), allowing new molecular modifications to improve potency and selectivity and increase our antineoplastic arsenal.

Physalis angulata Linn. as a medicinal plant (Review)

There are numerous medicinal benefits from herbal plants, with many herbal medicines being used as 'Jamu', 'standardized herbal medicines' and phytopharmaceuticals. Physalis angulata Linn. (P. angulata L.), a plant utilized for both medicinal and food consumption purposes in a number of tropical and subtropical nations, is widely studied for its beneficial properties. The present review summarized the scientific evidence which suggested that P. angulata L. possesses antibacterial, anticancer, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic and antidiabetic properties. Furthermore, the various pharmacological studies that have been conducted utilizing in vivo and in vitro models, as well as the identification of phytochemical components with therapeutic value are described. In addition, the present review explained the solvents and the toxicity tests that were used for the investigation of P. angulata L. The authors aspire that this literature review will provide an overview for researchers regarding the scientific progress of P. angulata L. over the past ten years and the potential areas of future research.

Development of o-aminobenzamide salt derivatives for improving water solubility and anti-undifferentiated gastric cancer

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the cancers with wide incidence, difficult treatment and high mortality in the world, especially in Asia and Africa. In our previous work, a novel o-aminobenzamide analogue F8 was identified as an early preclinical candidate for treatment of undifferentiated gastric cancer (IC₅₀ of 0.26 μM for HGC-27). However, the poor water solubility of compound F8 prevents its further progress in preclinical studies. Aim: To improve the water solubility and drug-likeness of F8 via salt formation. Method: Different acids and F8 were reacted to obtain different salt forms. Physicochemical property screening, pharmacokinetic property research, and antitumor biological activity evaluation in vitro and in vivo were used to obtain the optimal salt form with the best druggability. Results: our continuous efforts have finally confirmed F8·2HCl as the optimal salt form with maintained in vitro antitumor activity, improved water solubility and pharmacokinetic properties. Importantly, the F8·2HCl displayed superior in vivo antitumor efficacy (TGI of 70.1% in 75 mg/kg) in HGC-27 xenograft model. The further immunohistochemical analysis revealed that F8·2HCl exerts an antitumor effect through the regulation of cell cycle-related protein (CDK2 and p21), apoptosis-related protein Cleaved Caspase-3, proliferation marker Ki67, and cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. In addition, F8·2HCl showed acceptable safety in the in vivo acute toxicity assay. Conclusion: Salting is an effective means to improve the drug-like properties of compound F8, and F8·2HCl can serve as a promising therapeutic agent against undifferentiated gastric cancer.

Therapeutic Applications of Physalins: Powerful Natural Weapons

Physalins, or 16,24-cyclo-13,14-seco steroids, are compounds belonging to the class of withanolides that can be found in plants of Solanaceae family, mainly in species belonging to the genus Physalis spp., which are annual herbaceous plants widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Physalins are versatile molecules that act in several cell signaling pathways and activate different mechanisms of cell death or immunomodulation. A number of studies have shown a variety of actions of these compounds, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, and antiviral activities. Here we reviewed the main findings related to the anticancer, immunomodulatory, and antiparasitic activities of physalins and its mechanisms of action, highlighting the \challenges and future directions in the pharmacological application of physalins.