A Novel Approach to Unraveling the Apoptotic Potential of Rutin (Bioflavonoid) via Targeting Jab1 in Cervical Cancer Cells

Phytochemical analysis and biological study on Sinapis alba L. seeds extract incorporated with metal nanoparticles, in vitro approach

White mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seeds are the most commonly used mustard species in herbal medicine to treat a wide range of inflammatory disorders. Due to its increased bioavailability and lower toxicity, the green biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles (M-NPs) utilizing plant extract as a capping agent has been demonstrated over a number of years. Thus, the current study sought to examine the in vitro biological activity of copper oxide nanoparticles  (CuO-NPs) and selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) that were biosynthesized using aqueous, methanolic, and petroleum ether extracts from S. alba seeds. Phytochemical and in vitro biological activities (antioxidant, scavenging, anti-diabetic, anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities) were assayed in all prepared extracts before and after being used for the biosynthesis of the M-NPs. It was found that the total methanolic extract possessed the highest biological activities compared to other native extracts. The LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of secondary metabolites showed that the total methanolic extract contained 7 phenolic acids and 9 flavonoid aglycones. This helped find the active ingredients. We characterized 8 phenolic acid derivatives, 7 flavonoid glycosides, 4 aliphatic glucosinolates, and 3 aromatic aryl glucosinolates in the aqueous extract. Furthermore, the methanolic extract contains the highest concentrations of total polyphenols, condensed tannins, and total flavonoid compounds. The biosynthesized Se-NPs using methanolic extract showed higher in vitro biological activities compared to those of the biosynthesized CuO-NPs. The median lethal dose (LD50) showed that the biosynthesized Se-NPs using the studied extracts appeared safer compared to those of the biosynthesized CuO-NPs. The findings of this study concluded that the total methanolic extract is the most suitable bioresource for biosynthesizing Se-NPs through green nanotechnology, with higher biological efficiency in relation to its metabolite fingerprint.

Discovery of New Azaindole Metallo-Deubiquitinase CSN5 Inhibitors

CSN5 is responsible for the deneddylation of cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases and is closely linked to the development of various cancers. We previously developed a noncatalytic activity assay platform using novel fluorescent probes derived from azaindole inhibitors, which also highlighted the potential for further structural optimization of azaindoles. Herein, we report a series of new 4-NH-substituted azaindole derivatives, some of which showed nanomolar activity against the CSN5 subunit. Cellular assays revealed that the new azaindoles increase the cullin 1 neddylation in cancer cells. Importantly, they exhibit synergistic anticancer effects in combination with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors through increasing DNA damage. This work presents a new lead compound and a potential combination strategy for drug discovery targeting CSN5.

Assessment of the In Vitro Biological Activities of Schiff Base-Synthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles as an Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Alzheimer, and Anti-Cancer Agent

Background/Objectives: Numerous diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer have spread in the whole world, especially in the Arab world. Also, various applications of Schiff-base functionalized nanoparticles and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) such as therapeutic applications have been discovered. Thus, the current research highlights (i) the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) produced with a Schiff base (SB) serving as a capping agent during their synthesis and (ii) assessment of the in vitro biological activities of Schiff base-synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (SB-CuO-NPs) and a Schiff base (SB). Methods: SB-CuO-NPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, zeta potential, DLS analysis, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). It also focuses on assessing the in vitro biological applications and activities, including antioxidant, scavenging, anti-diabetic, anti-Alzheimer, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic activities, and enzymes inhibitory potential, of Schiff base-synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (SB-CuO-NPs) and a Schiff base (SB) using methods described in the literature. Results: The results of the biological activities of the SB-CuO-NPs were compared with those of the SB. The SB-CuO-NPs demonstrated superior in vitro biological activities when compared to the SB from which they were produced. Conclusions: The results of this investigation concluded that the CuO-NPs, synthesized with the SB serving as an alternative capping agent, exhibited enhanced biological efficacy relative to the original SB. In the future, the biological efficiency of SB-CuO-NPs against diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cancer diseases will be assessed in experimental animals (in vivo).

Elucidating the anticancerous efficacy of genistein via modulating HPV (E7 and E6) oncogenes expression and apoptotic induction in cervical cancer cells

In recent years, genistein has garnered increased interest for its ability to inhibit numerous deregulated targets associated with cancer progression and induction of programmed cell death and antiproliferative activities in human carcinoma cells. Cancer etiology is influenced via multiple disrupted signaling pathways. This study therefore directed toward investigating genistein efficacy in modulating mRNA expression levels of two crucial Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) (E7 and E6) oncogenes for cancer treatment. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of genistein for HPV (E7 and E6) oncogenes in cervical carcinoma have not yet been reported. Current study investigated inhibitory potential of genistein in HPV (E7 and E6) oncogenes in HeLa cells. These oncogenes are known to deactivate many tumor suppressor proteins (p53 and pRB). Genistein therapy resulted in decreased cell proliferation and increased cell accumulation in the G (G0/G1) phase in HeLa cell lines. In addition, genistein therapy has resulted in the suppression of HPV (E7 and E6) gene expression and simultaneously increasing expression levels of p53 and pRB mRNA levels. As a consequence, there has been an activation of a series of caspases (3, 8, and 9), resulting in their cleavage. Consequently, our data suggests that genistein could be a powerful candidate for treating cervical cancer by targeting two important oncogenes involved in viral development. However, more in vitro research on primary cervical cancer cells is required to validate the clinically relevant efficacy of genistein against cervical cancer.

Phytocompound identification of aqueous Zingiber officinale rhizome (ZOME) extract reveals antiproliferative and reactive oxygen species mediated apoptotic induction within cervical cancer cells: an in vitro and in silico approach

The prevalence of cervical cancer in women is in the fourth position among various other types of cancer globally. Many established therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and immunomodulation, are present, but high levels of side effects cause mortality and morbidity among the patients. Zingiber officinale rhizome (ZOME) has been potentially used to cure a variety of ailments and diseases. The aqueous ZOME extract also contains ample phytochemical constituents having anticancer effects on different cancers. The cell viability of HeLa cells was evaluated using MTT assay with IC50 at 97 µg/mL. Furthermore, a significant level of ROS generation causes the apoptosis of the cells. Nuclear staining dye DAPI and Hoechst 33342 showed DNA's fragmented and condensed form. Propidium Iodide staining showed necrotic or late-apoptotic cells. While acidic organelle dye LysoTracker and MitoTracker dye along with dual staining showed significant results. In silico studies were carried out using identified phytochemicals from GC-MS analysis with pharmacokinetics properties (ADMET), and targeted toward receptor proteins for molecular docking. Ligands with high docked scores were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations at 310 K for 100 ns. In vitro and in silico investigations in our studies showed that aqueous ZOME extract can be used as an efficient therapy against cervical cancer treatment as it showed significant cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects toward the HeLa cell line.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Exploring the Potential Biological Activities of Pyrazole-Based Schiff Bases as Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Alzheimer's, Anti-Inflammatory, and Cytotoxic Agents: In Vitro Studies with Computational Predictions

In this innovative research, we aim to reveal pyrazole-based Schiff bases as new multi-target agents. In this context, we re-synthesized three sets of pyrazole-based Schiff bases, 5a-f, 6a-f, and 7a-f, to evaluate their biological applications. The data from in vitro biological assays (including antioxidant and scavenging activities, anti-diabetes, anti-Alzheimer's, and anti-inflammatory properties) of the pyrazole-based Schiff bases 5a-f, 6a-f, and 7a-f showed that the six pyrazole-based Schiff bases 5a, 5d, 5e, 5f, 7a, and 7f possess the highest biological properties among the compounds evaluated. The cytotoxicity against lung (A549) and colon (Caco-2) human cancer types, as well as normal lung (WI-38) cell lines, was evaluated. The data from the cytotoxicity investigation demonstrated that the three Schiff bases 5d, 5e, and 7a are active against lung (A549) cells, while the two Schiff bases 5e and 7a exhibited the highest cytotoxicity towards colon (Caco-2) cells. Additionally, the enzymatic activities against caspase-3 and Bcl-2 of the six pyrazole-based Schiff bases 5a, 5d, 5e, 5f, 7a, and 7f were evaluated. Furthermore, we assessed the in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, and toxicity (ADMT) properties of the more potent pyrazole-based Schiff bases. After modifying the structures of the six pyrazole-based Schiff bases, we plan to further extend the studies in the future.

Anti-cancerous effect of corn silk: a critical review on its mechanism of action and safety evaluation

Cancer is a broad collection of diseases that can begin in almost any organ or tissue of the body. Corn silk is the hair-like stigmata of female maize flowers which is generally discarded as waste from maize cultivation. The current study targets the anti-cancer potential of corn silk and its bioactive compounds namely, polyphenols, flavonoids, and sterols. The polyphenols and flavonoids like quercetin, rutin, apigenin and beta-sitosterol are a range of compounds from corn silk which were investigated for their anticancer effect. Corn silk showed apoptotic and antiproliferative effects in cancer cells through different signalling pathways, essentially the serine/threonine kinases (Akt)/lipid kinases (PI3Ks) pathway. The study revealed that corn silk compounds target immune cell responses, induce cell cytotoxicity, and upregulate the expression of proapoptotic genes p53, p21, caspase 9, and caspase 3 in certain cancer cell lines including HeLa cervical cancer cells, MCF-7 breast cancer cells, PANC-02 pancreatic cancer cells and Caco-2 colon cancer cells. Flavonoids derived from corn silk enhance T cell mediated immune response and decrease inflammatory factors. Corn silk bioactive compounds were found to reduce the side effects of cancer therapy. Antioxidants of corn silk, quercetin and rutin help in reducing the nephrotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs. The study also suggests that corn silk has anti-cancerous potential as it targets tumour suppression and inhibits metastasis A dose of 500 mg/kg body weight of corn silk has been found safe for human consumption. Corn silk extract can be used as a preventive or therapeutic step to cure cancer. The anti-cancer property, mechanism and role of corn silk in controlling cancer-related side effects have been critically reviewed providing new scope for the use of corn silk in cancer therapy.

Determination of Rutin's antitumoral effect on EAC solid tumor by AgNOR count and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Rutin is one of the flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is critical for the life cycle at the cellular level. In current study, we purposed to demonstrate the antitumoral effect of rutin at different doses through the mTOR-signaling pathway and argyrophilic nucleolar regulatory region. EAC cells were injected subcutaneously into the experimental groups. 25 and 50 mg/kg Rutin were injected intraperitoneally to the animals with solid tumors for 14 days. Immunohistochemical, Real-time PCR and AgNOR analyzes were actualized on the taken tumors. When the rutin given groups and the tumor group were compared, the tumor size increase was detected to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). In immunohistochemical analysis, a significant decrease was encountered in the AKT, mTOR, PI3K and F8 expressions especially in the groups administered 25 mg Rutin, in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). AgNOR area/nuclear area (TAA/NA) and average AgNOR number were determineted, and statistically important differences were detected between the groups in terms of TAA/NA ratio (p < 0.05). There were significant statistical differences between the mRNA quantity of the PI3K, AKT1 and mTOR genes (p < 0.05). In the in vitro study, cell apoptosis was evaluated with different doses of annexin V and it was determined that a dose of 10 µg/mL Rutin induced apoptosis (p < 0.05). In our study, it was demonstrated in vivo and in vitro that Rutin has an anti-tumor effect on the development of solid tumors formed by both EAC cells.

Anticancer Effect of Pomegranate Peel Polyphenols against Cervical Cancer

Polyphenols are a broad group of bioactive phytochemicals with powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral activities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that polyphenol extracts obtained from natural sources can be used for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Pomegranate peel extract is an excellent source of polyphenols, such as punicalagin, punicalin, ellagic acid, and caffeic acid, among others. These phenolic compounds have antineoplastic activity in in vitro models of cervical cancer through the regulation of cellular redox balance, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and modulation of different signaling pathways. The current review summarizes recent data from scientific reports that address the anticancer activity of the predominant polyphenol compounds present in PPE and their different mechanisms of action in cervical cancer models.

Modulating Effects of Cancer-Derived Exosomal miRNAs and Exosomal Processing by Natural Products

Cancer-derived exosomes exhibit sophisticated functions, such as proliferation, apoptosis, migration, resistance, and tumor microenvironment changes. Several clinical drugs modulate these exosome functions, but the impacts of natural products are not well understood. Exosome functions are regulated by exosome processing, such as secretion and assembly. The modulation of these exosome-processing genes can exert the anticancer and precancer effects of cancer-derived exosomes. This review focuses on the cancer-derived exosomal miRNAs that regulate exosome processing, acting on the natural-product-modulating cell functions of cancer cells. However, the role of exosomal processing has been overlooked in several studies of exosomal miRNAs and natural products. In this study, utilizing the bioinformatics database (miRDB), the exosome-processing genes of natural-product-modulated exosomal miRNAs were predicted. Consequently, several natural drugs that modulate exosome processing and exosomal miRNAs and regulate cancer cell functions are described here. This review sheds light on and improves our understanding of the modulating effects of exosomal miRNAs and their potential exosomal processing targets on anticancer treatments based on the use of natural products.

Green Tea Polyphenols Cause Apoptosis and Autophagy in HPV-16 Subgene-Immortalized Human Cervical Epithelial Cells via the Activation of the Nrf2 Pathway

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is relatively common and certain high-risk HPV strains can induce epithelial dysplasia, increasing the risk of cervical cancer. Green tea polyphenol (GTP) preparations exhibit diverse anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antitumor properties In Vitro and In Vivo. Topical GTP application has been recommended as a treatment for genital warts, but the effect of GTP treatment on HPV infection and HPV-associated cancer remains to be established. The present study aimed to explore the mechanism by which GTP affected HPV type 16 (HPV-16)-positive immortalized human cervical epithelial cells. Survival, apoptosis, and autophagocytosis of these cells following GTP treatment was assessed using CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining. These cells were further transfected with an shRNA specific for Nrf2 to generate stable Nrf2-knockdown cells. The levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, P53, Rb, HPV-16 E6, HPV-16 E7, P62, Beclin1 and LC3B were determined via Western blotting. These analyses revealed that GTP treatment induced autophagy and apoptosis in HPV-16-positive cells, while Nrf2 gene knockdown reversed GTP-induced autophagic and apoptotic effects. Together, these results suggested that GTP could alleviate HPV infection and HPV-associated precancerous lesions In Vitro by regulating the Nrf2 pathway, highlighting the therapeutic potential of GTP in treating HPV infection.