Anti-cancer agents in Saudi Arabian herbals revealed by automated high-content imaging

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.: A Promising Pharmaceutical Resource for Multiple Diseases

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) is widely distributed in the desert areas of the world. The fruit bodies of C. colocynthis are recognized for their wide range of nutraceutical potential, as well as medicinal and pharmaceutical uses. The plant has been reported for various uses, such as asthma, bronchitis, cancer, colic, common cold, cough, diabetes, dysentery, and jaundice. The fruit has been extensively studied for its biological activities, which include insecticide, antitumor, and antidiabetic effects. Numerous bioactive compounds have been reported in its fruit bodies, such as essential oils, fatty acids, glycosides, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Of these, flavonoids or caffeic acid derivatives are the constituents associated with the inhibition of fungal or bacterial growth, whereas eudesmane sesquiterpenes or sesquiterpene lactones are most active against insects, mites, and nematodes. In this review, the scientific evidence for the biological activity of C. colocynthis against insecticide, cytotoxic, and antidiabetic effects is summarized.

Apoptotic Cell Death via Activation of DNA Degradation, Caspase-3 Activity, and Suppression of Bcl-2 Activity: An Evidence-Based Citrullus colocynthis Cytotoxicity Mechanism toward MCF-7 and A549 Cancer Cell Lines

The objectives of this study are to investigate the cytotoxic effect of different Citrullus colocynthis extracts on breast and lung cancer cell lines using flow cytometry to gain mechanistic insights. C. colocynthis was extracted sequentially using the Soxhlet method. We first tested the plant extracts’ cytotoxicity on non-malignant L929 cells and cancerous breast (MCF-7) and lung (A549) cell lines. We observed that the IC50 of the methanol extract on the viability of MCF-7 and A549 cell lines was 81.08 µg/mL and 17.84 µg/mL, respectively, using the MTT assay. The aqueous and methanol extracts were less toxic when tested against the non-cancerous L929 cell line, with IC50 values of 235.48 µg/mL and 222.29 µg/mL, respectively. Then, using flow cytometry, we investigated the underlying molecular pathways with Annexin-V, Anti-Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) assays. Flow cytometric and molecular marker analyses revealed that the methanol extract activated caspase-3 and inhibited Bcl-2 protein, causing early and late apoptosis, as well as cell death via DNA damage in breast and lung cancer cells. These findings indicate that the methanol extract of C. colocynthis is cytotoxic to breast and lung cancer cell lines. The total phenolic and flavonoid content analysis results showed the methanolic extract of C. colocynthis has a concentration of 326.25 μg GAE/g dwt and 274.61 μg QE/g dwt, respectively. GC-MS analysis of the methanol extract revealed phytochemicals relevant to its cytotoxicity.

Evaluation of DNA double-strand break repair capacity in human cells: Critical overview of current functional methods

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly deleterious lesions, responsible for mutagenesis, chromosomal translocation or cell death. DSB repair (DSBR) is therefore a critical part of the DNA damage response (DDR) to restore molecular and genomic integrity. In humans, this process is achieved through different pathways with various outcomes. The balance between DSB repair activities varies depending on cell types, tissues or individuals. Over the years, several methods have been developed to study variations in DSBR capacity. Here, we mainly focus on functional techniques, which provide dynamic information regarding global DSB repair proficiency or the activity of specific pathways. These methods rely on two kinds of approaches. Indirect techniques, such as pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the comet assay and immunofluorescence (IF), measure DSB repair capacity by quantifying the time-dependent decrease in DSB levels after exposure to a DNA-damaging agent. On the other hand, cell-free assays and reporter-based methods directly track the repair of an artificial DNA substrate. Each approach has intrinsic advantages and limitations and despite considerable efforts, there is currently no ideal method to quantify DSBR capacity. All techniques provide different information and can be regarded as complementary, but some studies report conflicting results. Parameters such as the type of biological material, the required equipment or the cost of analysis may also limit available options. Improving currently available methods measuring DSBR capacity would be a major step forward and we present direct applications in mechanistic studies, drug development, human biomonitoring and personalized medicine, where DSBR analysis may improve the identification of patients eligible for chemo- and radiotherapy.

NMR as a "Gold Standard" Method in Drug Design and Discovery

Studying disease models at the molecular level is vital for drug development in order to improve treatment and prevent a wide range of human pathologies. Microbial infections are still a major challenge because pathogens rapidly and continually evolve developing drug resistance. Cancer cells also change genetically, and current therapeutic techniques may be (or may become) ineffective in many cases. The pathology of many neurological diseases remains an enigma, and the exact etiology and underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Viral infections spread and develop much more quickly than does the corresponding research needed to prevent and combat these infections; the present and most relevant outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, which originated in Wuhan, China, illustrates the critical and immediate need to improve drug design and development techniques. Modern day drug discovery is a time-consuming, expensive process. Each new drug takes in excess of 10 years to develop and costs on average more than a billion US dollars. This demonstrates the need of a complete redesign or novel strategies. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) has played a critical role in drug discovery ever since its introduction several decades ago. In just three decades, NMR has become a "gold standard" platform technology in medical and pharmacology studies. In this review, we present the major applications of NMR spectroscopy in medical drug discovery and development. The basic concepts, theories, and applications of the most commonly used NMR techniques are presented. We also summarize the advantages and limitations of the primary NMR methods in drug development.

Anastatica hierochuntica (L.) methanolic and aqueous extracts exert antiproliferative effects through the induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Breast cancer therapy using anticancer bioactive compounds derived from natural products as adjuvant treatment has gained recognition due to expensive and toxic conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. The whole plant of Anastatica hierochuntica (L.) (A. hierochuntica) has been investigated for its pharmacologically important anticancer properties but without categorizing the biological activities of the plant parts. We assessed the anticancer potential of different parts of A. hierochuntica (seeds, stems and leaves) and explored their mechanisms of action using the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Currently, we investigated the antiproliferative effects of methanolic (MSD, MST, ML) and aqueous (ASD, AST, AL) extracts of A. hierochuntica plant parts on the MCF-7 cells using cell viability assays. Flow cytometry, Western Blot, DNA fragmentation, and gene expression assays were performed to evaluate apoptosis and cell cycle regulatory proteins. The results indicate that the methanolic and aqueous extracts decreased MCF-7 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. The induction of apoptosis was observed in all the methanolic and aqueous-treated MCF-7 cells. The cell death process was confirmed by the visualization of DNA fragmentation and cleavage of the intrinsic apoptotic pathways, caspase-9 and caspase-3, the key enzyme causing apoptosis hallmarks. In addition, the most pro-apoptotic extracts, ASD and ML, up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, tumor suppressor TP53 genes and the cyclin inhibitor CDKN1A gene. In conclusion, of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of A. hierochuntica plant parts exerting antiproliferative effects through the induction of apoptosis in breast cancer MCF-7 cells, ASD and ML extracts were the most promising natural-based drugs for the treatment of breast cancer.

Extraction, Characterization, and Anticoagulant Activity of a Sulfated Polysaccharide from Bursatella leachii Viscera

Bioactive compounds for drug discovery are increasingly extracted and purified from natural sources including marine organisms. Heparin is a therapeutic agent that has been used for several decades as an anticoagulant. However, heparin is known to cause many undesirable complications such as thrombocytopenia and risk of hemorrhage. Hence, there is a need to find alternatives to current widely used anticoagulant drugs. Here, we extract a sulfated polysaccharide from sea hare, that is, Bursatella leachii viscera, by enzymatic digestion. Several analytical approaches including elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis show that B. leachii polysaccharides have chemical structures similar to glycosaminoglycans. We explore the anticoagulant activity of the B. leachii extract using the activated partial thromboplastin time and the thrombin time. Our results demonstrate that the extracted sulfated polysaccharide has heparin-like anticoagulant activity, thus showing great promise as an alternative anticoagulant therapy.

Hystrix brachyura Bezoar Characterization, Antioxidant Activity Screening, and Anticancer Activity on Melanoma Cells (A375): A Preliminary Study

Porcupine bezoars (PBs) are masses of undigested calcareous concretions formed within the gastrointestinal tract. There are undocumented claims that PBs have antioxidant activity and can treat cancers. However, limited scientific study has been carried out to verify these traditional claims. Hence, this study was conducted to characterize the chemical profile and validate the antioxidant and anticancer activity against melanoma cells (A375). PB extract was initially subjected to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (GCMS), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) analyses. The bioautography of antioxidant assays, namely 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH), and β-carotene was performed. An in vitro A375 cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle arrest assay, and gene expression assay were carried out as well. The experimental finding revealed 5,10-diethoxy-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-1H,6H-dipyrrolo[1,2-a:1',2'-d]pyrazine, ursodeoxycholic acid, and cholest-5-en-3-ol (3 beta)-, carbonochloridate are major compounds detected in PB extract. PB extract has low phenolic content, viz. 698.7 ± 0.93 (µg GAE/5 mg dry weight). The bioautography antioxidant assays revealed a potent antioxidant effect (ABTS > DPPH > β-carotene), with free radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, PB extract exhibited dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cancer activity on A375 cells due to the exhibition of apoptosis via an intrinsic pathway.

Recommended strategies for spectral processing and post-processing of 1D 1H-NMR data of biofluids with a particular focus on urine

1H NMR spectra from urine can yield information-rich data sets that offer important insights into many biological and biochemical phenomena. However, the quality and utility of these insights can be profoundly affected by how the NMR spectra are processed and interpreted. For instance, if the NMR spectra are incorrectly referenced or inconsistently aligned, the identification of many compounds will be incorrect. If the NMR spectra are mis-phased or if the baseline correction is flawed, the estimated concentrations of many compounds will be systematically biased. Furthermore, because NMR permits the measurement of concentrations spanning up to five orders of magnitude, several problems can arise with data analysis. For instance, signals originating from the most abundant metabolites may prove to be the least biologically relevant while signals arising from the least abundant metabolites may prove to be the most important but hardest to accurately and precisely measure. As a result, a number of data processing techniques such as scaling, transformation and normalization are often required to address these issues. Therefore, proper processing of NMR data is a critical step to correctly extract useful information in any NMR-based metabolomic study. In this review we highlight the significance, advantages and disadvantages of different NMR spectral processing steps that are common to most NMR-based metabolomic studies of urine. These include: chemical shift referencing, phase and baseline correction, spectral alignment, spectral binning, scaling and normalization. We also provide a set of recommendations for best practices regarding spectral and data processing for NMR-based metabolomic studies of biofluids, with a particular focus on urine.

Telomerase Inhibitors from Natural Products and Their Anticancer Potential

Telomeres and telomerase are nowadays exploring traits on targets for anticancer therapy. Telomerase is a unique reverse transcriptase enzyme, considered as a primary factor in almost all cancer cells, which is mainly responsible to regulate the telomere length. Hence, telomerase ensures the indefinite cell proliferation during malignancy—a hallmark of cancer—and this distinctive feature has provided telomerase as the preferred target for drug development in cancer therapy. Deactivation of telomerase and telomere destabilization by natural products provides an opening to succeed new targets for cancer therapy. This review aims to provide a fundamental knowledge for research on telomere, working regulation of telomerase and its various binding proteins to inhibit the telomere/telomerase complex. In addition, the review summarizes the inhibitors of the enzyme catalytic subunit and RNA component, natural products that target telomeres, and suppression of transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. This extensive understanding of telomerase biology will provide indispensable information for enhancing the efficiency of rational anti-cancer drug design.