Comparative in vitro and in silico characterization of anticancer compounds piceatannol, biochanin-A and resveratrol on breast cancer cells

Chemical Characterization and Biological Properties of Leguminous Honey

Honey can beneficially act against different human diseases, helping our body to improve its health. The aim of the present study was first to increase knowledge of some biochemical characteristics (amount and composition of polyphenols and volatile organic compounds, vitamin C content) of five Italian legume honeys (alfalfa, astragalus, carob, indigo, and sainfoin). Furthermore, we evaluated their potential health properties by studying their antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities and in vitro inhibitory effects on three enzymes involved in neurodegenerative diseases (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase). Alfalfa honey showed the highest total polyphenol content (TPC) (408 μg g-1 of product). Indigo honey showed the lowest TPC (110 μg g-1 of product). The antioxidant activity was noteworthy, especially in the case of sainfoin honey (IC50 = 6.08 mg), which also exhibited excellent inhibitory action against butyrylcholinesterase (74%). Finally, the correlation between the biochemical and functional results allowed us to identify classes of molecules, or even single molecules, present in these five honeys, which are capable of influencing the properties indicated above.

Application of instantaneous nebulization dispersive liquid-phase microextraction combined with HPLC for the determination of chalcone and isoflavone in traditional Chinese medicines

A simple and rapid instantaneous nebulization dispersive liquid-phase microextraction method was developed, and combined with high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of the contents of seven analytes in traditional Chinese medicines. In this study, using the sprinkler device to achieve instantaneous synchronous dispersion and extraction, only one spray can rapidly achieve the concentration and enrichment of seven kinds of chalcone and isoflavones. The key factors affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized including the type and volume of extractant, the pH and salt concentration of the sample phase, and the number of dispersion. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factor of the target analytes ranged from 103.1 to 180.9, with good linearity and correlation coefficients above 0.9970. The limits of detection ranged from 0.02 to 0.15 ng/mL, with good accuracy (recoveries 91.1 to 108.9%) and precision (relative standard deviations 1.5-7.1%). This method has short extraction time (2 s), low organic solvent consumption and high enrichment effect, so it has a wide application prospects.

Layer-by-Layer Nanoparticles of Tamoxifen and Resveratrol for Dual Drug Delivery System and Potential Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

Nanoparticle development demonstrates use in various physicochemical, biological, and functional properties for biomedical applications, including anti-cancer applications. In the current study, a cancer therapeutic conjugate was produced consisting of tamoxifen (TAM) and resveratrol (RES) by layer-by-layer (LbL) nanoparticles based on lipid-based drug delivery systems and liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) coated with multiple layers of positively charged chitosan and negatively charged hyaluronic acid for the evaluation of biocompatibility and therapeutic properties against cancer cells. Multiple techniques characterized the synthesis of TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray crystallography (XRD), Zeta potential analysis, particle size analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in vitro cytotoxic effects of TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs were investigated against human breast cancer cell line, Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7), and human triple-negative breast cancer cell line, Centre Antoine Lacassagne-51 (CAL-51), using various parameters. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay confirmed that the treatment of cells with TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs caused a reduction in cell proliferation, and no such inhibition was observed with human normal liver cell line: American Type Culture Collection Cell Line-48 (WRL-68 [ATCC CL-48]). Fluorescent microscopy examined the ability of Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to bind to TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs along with their cellular uptake. Apoptosis determination was performed using hematoxylin-eosin and acridine orange-propidium iodide double staining. The expression of P53 and caspase-8 was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis. An in vivo study determined the toxicity of TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs in mice and assessed the functional marker changes in the liver and kidneys. No significant statistical differences were found for the tested indicators. TAM/RES-LbL-LCNP treatment showed no apparent damages or histopathological abnormalities in the heart, lung, liver, spleen, and kidney histological images. The current findings observed for the first time propose that TAM/RES-LbL-LCNPs provide a new and safer method to use phytochemicals in combinatorial therapy and provide a novel treatment approach against breast cancers.

Piceatannol, a Natural Analog of Resveratrol, Exerts Anti-angiogenic Efficiencies by Blockage of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Binding to Its Receptor

Piceatannol is also named as trans-3,4,3′,5′-tetrahydroxy-stilbene, which is a natural analog of resveratrol and a polyphenol existing in red wine, grape and sugar cane. Piceatannol has been proved to possess activities of immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and anticancer. However, the effect of piceatannol on VEGF-mediated angiogenesis is not known. Here, the inhibitory effects of piceatannol on VEGF-induced angiogenesis were tested both in vitro and in vivo models of angiogenesis. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), piceatannol markedly reduced the VEGF-induced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, as well as tube formation without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, piceatannol significantly inhibited the formation of subintestinal vessel in zebrafish embryos in vivo. In addition, we identified the underlying mechanism of piceatannol in triggering the anti-angiogenic functions. Piceatannol was proposed to bind with VEGF, thus attenuating VEGF in activating VEGF receptor and blocking VEGF-mediated downstream signaling, including expressions of phosphorylated eNOS, Erk and Akt. Furthermore, piceatannol visibly suppressed ROS formation, as triggered by VEGF. Moreover, we further determined the outcome of piceatannol binding to VEGF in cancer cells: piceatannol significantly suppressed VEGF-induced colon cancer proliferation and migration. Thus, these lines of evidence supported the conclusion that piceatannol could down regulate the VEGF-mediated angiogenic functions with no cytotoxicity via decreasing the amount of VEGF binding to its receptors, thus affecting the related downstream signaling. Piceatannol may be developed into therapeutic agents or health products to reduce the high incidence of angiogenesis-related diseases.