Unveiling the anticancer potential of Anamirta cocculus (L.) Wight& Arn.: Evidences from cytotoxicity studies, apoptosis analysis, and molecular docking

Anamirta cocculus, a woody climber, is extensively utilised in traditional Asian medicine. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of A. cocculus leaf extracts on various cancer cell lines as well as on a normal cell line. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited potent anticancer activity, with the highest cytotoxicity observed against ovarian cancer cell line (PA1) (IC50 = 8.30 ± 0.38 µg/mL) and colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29) (IC50 = 17.97 ± 0.63 µg/mL). Notably, the extract displayed low toxicity (18.72 ± 0.73%) on the normal human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) at a concentration of 100 µg/mL, indicating selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. The acetone extract also demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines, including A498, MG63, PA1, and UM-SCC-83B. The ethyl acetate extract of A. cocculus demonstrated potent inhibition of colony formation in HT29 and PA1 cancer cell lines while inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation. The number of late apoptotic cells increased with an increase in concentrations of ACLE. Molecular docking studies of compounds identified through GC-MS analysis revealed strong interactions with key apoptotic proteins, including caspase-8, p53, caspase-3, and caspase-9. Compounds such as vitamin E, epoxylathyrol, squalene, and phytol showed high binding affinity to these proteins, suggesting their role in apoptosis induction. The possibility of induction of apoptotic proteins through indirect interaction by binding to other proteins or receptors cannot be ruled out. The cytotoxic effects may result from individual, combined, or synergistic actions of these compounds. Among these, epoxylathyrol emerged as a particularly promising anticancer drug candidate based on ADME analysis and binding affinity assessments, warranting further investigation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-04096-2.

Cnidium officinale Makino: Phytology, Phytochemistry, Toxicology, Pharmacology and Prescriptions (1967-2023)

Cnidium officinale Makino (COM), a perennial herbaceous plant in the Apiaceous family, widely distribute in Eastern Asia and Asia-Temperate. It has a long history application as a traditional medicine for invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis, and also has been employed to diet, pesticide, herbal bathing materials, the cosmetic and skin care industry. However, there has been no associated review of literature in the past half a century (1967-2023). By searching the international authoritative databases and collecting 229 literatures closely related to COM, herewith a comprehensive and systematic review was conducted. The phytology includes plant distribution and botanical characteristics. The phytochemistry covers 8 major categories, 208 compounds in total, and the quantitative determination of 14 monomer compounds, total polyphenols and total flavonoids. The clinical trial in pregnant women and toxic experiments in mice, the pharmacology of 7 aspects and 82 frequently used prescriptions are summarized. It is expected that this paper will provide forward-looking scientific thinking and literature support for the further modern research, development and utilization of COM.

Medicinal Plants in the Prevention and Treatment of Colon Cancer

The standard treatment for cancer is generally based on using cytotoxic drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. However, the use of traditional treatments has received attention in recent years. The aim of the present work was to provide an overview of medicinal plants effective on colon cancer with special emphasis on bioactive components and underlying mechanisms of action. Various literature databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, were used and English language articles were considered. Based on literature search, 172 experimental studies and 71 clinical cases on 190 plants were included. The results indicate that grape, soybean, green tea, garlic, olive, and pomegranate are the most effective plants against colon cancer. In these studies, fruits, seeds, leaves, and plant roots were used for in vitro and in vivo models. Various anticolon cancer mechanisms of these medicinal plants include induction of superoxide dismutase, reduction of DNA oxidation, induction of apoptosis by inducing a cell cycle arrest in S phase, reducing the expression of PI3K, P-Akt protein, and MMP as well; reduction of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, and decrease of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin B1 and cyclin E. Plant compounds also increase both the expression of the cell cycle inhibitors p53, p21, and p27, and the BAD, Bax, caspase 3, caspase 7, caspase 8, and caspase 9 proteins levels. In fact, purification of herbal compounds and demonstration of their efficacy in appropriate in vivo models, as well as clinical studies, may lead to alternative and effective ways of controlling and treating colon cancer.

Water extract of Cnidii Rhizoma suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 cell by inhibiting NFATc1/c-Fos signaling and prevents ovariectomized bone loss in SD-rat

Background

Cnidii Rhizoma is the dried root stem of Cnidium officinale Makino. Cnidii Rhizoma (CR) has been used to treat menstrual irregularity, menstrual pain, and menopause in Korea. However, the effects and mechanisms of CR on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis pathway remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of CR on the inhibition of bone resorption of osteoclast and its mechanism RANK signaling pathway.

Methods

The anti-osteoclastogenesis of water extract of CR was measured using RAW 264.7 cell. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assay, pit assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot were performed. Moreover, the effects of CR were determined with an in vivo model using ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Results

CR extract suppressed osteoclastogenesis, its activity and bone resorption activity through decreasing gene of osteoclast-related such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), c-Fos, etc. Moreover, CR extract prevented the bone loss in OVX rats.

Conclusion

These results show that CR has a positive effect on menopausal osteoporosis by suppressing osteoclastogenesis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2611-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Antiobesity Effects of Buginawa in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and in a Mouse Model of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity

There has been a remarkable interest in finding lipid inhibitors from natural products to replace synthetic compounds, and a variety of oriental medicinal herbs are reported to have biological activity with regard to lipid inhibition. Buginawa (Bugi) is a novel combined formula that contains twelve medicinal herbs with potential for weight loss induction. We hypothesized that Bugi may have antiobesity effects in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and in a high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced mouse model. In this study, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with varied concentrations of Bugi (62.5, 125, or 250 μg/mL). Bugi treatment inhibited adipocyte differentiation by suppressing adipogenic transcription genes, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ protein (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ). Mice were fed a normal diet or an HFD for 11 weeks, and Bugi was simultaneously administered at 50 or 100 mg/kg. Bugi administration significantly reduced body weight gain and white adipose tissue (WAT) weight and effectively inhibited lipid droplet accumulation in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver tissue. Further, Bugi treatment suppressed mRNA levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1 in eWAT and liver tissue. Our findings demonstrate that Bugi could be an effective candidate for preventing obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Falcarindiol inhibits LPS-induced inflammation via attenuating MAPK and JAK-STAT signaling pathways in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells

Falcarindiol (FAD) is a natural polyacetylene compound found rich in many plants of the Umbelliferae family. Previously, we isolated FAD from the rhizome of Cnidium officinale Makino, which belongs to the Umbelliferae family and found it to have a significant inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of nitric oxide, a pro-inflammatory molecule in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. In this study, we investigated its effect on the expression of other major pro-inflammatory molecules as well as the mechanism underlying these effects. Pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 cells with FAD suppressed LPS-stimulated mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and thereby reduced the respective protein levels. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that FAD attenuated the LPS-induced activation of JNK, ERK, STAT1, and STAT3 signaling molecules. Moreover, we found that FAD did not influence LPS-induced activation of p38 and NFκB signaling pathways. Collectively, this study provides evidence that FAD inhibits the production of major pro-inflammatory molecules in LPS-challenged murine macrophages via suppression of JNK, ERK, and STAT signaling pathways.

Glehnia littoralis Root Extract Induces G0/G1 Phase Cell Cycle Arrest in the MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line

Glehnia littoralis (GL) is widely used as an oriental medicine for cough, fever, stroke and other disease conditions. However, the anti-cancer properties of GL on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells have not been investigated. In order to elucidate anti-cancer properties and underlying cell death mechanisms, MCF-7cells (5 X 104/well) were treated with Glehnia littoralis root extract at 0-400 ug/ml. A hot water extract of GL root inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the cell cycle after treatment of MCF-7 cells with increasing concentrations of GL root extract for 24 hours showed significant cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis both revealed that GL root extract significantly increased the expression of p21 and p27 with an accompanyingdecrease in both CDK4 and cyclin D1. Our reuslts indicated that GL root extract arrested the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in G1 phase through inhibition of CDK4 and cyclin D1 via increased induction of p21 and p27. In summary, the current study showed that GL could serve as a potential source of chemotherapeutic or chemopreventative agents against human breast cancer.

Cnidium officinale extract and butylidenephthalide inhibits retinal neovascularization in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Retinal neovascularization, which is the pathological growth of new blood vessels, is associated with retinopathy of prematurity, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion. In this study, we evaluated the effect of an extract of Cnidium officinale Makino (COE) and its bioactive compound, butylidenephthalide (BP), on the migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and on retinal pathogenic neovascularization in the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model.

METHOD

The HUVECs were incubated with COE and BP (0.1-10 μg/ml). The mice were exposed to 75 % oxygen for 5 days starting on the 7(th) postnatal day (P7-P12). Then, the mice were returned to room air and intraperitoneally injected with COE (100 mg/kg) and BP (5 mg/kg) once per day for 5 days (P12-P16). On P17, we measured retinal neovascularization and analyzed the angiogenesis-related proteins expression using protein arrays.

RESULTS

COE and BP inhibit the HUVECs migration and the tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, COE significantly decreased retinal neovascularization in the OIR mice. COE reduced the expression levels of AREG, ANG, DLL4, Endostatin, IGFBP-2 and VEGF. Additionally, BP also inhibited the retinal neovascularization and down-regulated the expression of AREG, ANG, DLL4 and VEGF.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that COE and BP exerts antiangiogenic effects on retinal neovascularization by inhibiting the expression of AREG, ANG, DLL4 and VEGF, indicating that antiangiogenic activities of COE may be in part due to its bioactive compound, BP.