Synthesis of OSW-1 analogues and a dimer and their antitumor activities

Advances in antitumor activity and mechanism of natural steroidal saponins: A review of advances, challenges, and future prospects

BACKGROUND

Cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide following cardiovascular diseases, presents a formidable challenge in clinical settings due to the extensive toxic side effects associated with primary chemotherapy drugs employed for cancer treatment. Furthermore, the emergence of drug resistance against specific chemotherapeutic agents has further complicated the situation. Consequently, there exists an urgent imperative to investigate novel anticancer drugs. Steroidal saponins, a class of natural compounds, have demonstrated notable antitumor efficacy. Nonetheless, their translation into clinical applications has remained unrealized thus far. In light of this, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review elucidating the antitumor activity, underlying mechanisms, and inherent limitations of steroidal saponins. Additionally, we propose a series of strategic approaches and recommendations to augment the antitumor potential of steroidal saponin compounds, thereby offering prospective insights for their eventual clinical implementation.

PURPOSE

This review summarizes steroidal saponins' antitumor activity, mechanisms, and limitations.

METHODS

The data included in this review are sourced from authoritative databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and others.

RESULTS

A comprehensive summary of over 40 steroidal saponin compounds with proven antitumor activity, including their applicable tumor types and structural characteristics, has been compiled. These steroidal saponins can be primarily classified into five categories: spirostanol, isospirostanol, furostanol, steroidal alkaloids, and cholestanol. The isospirostanol and cholestanol saponins are found to have more potent antitumor activity. The primary antitumor mechanisms of these saponins include tumor cell apoptosis, autophagy induction, inhibition of tumor migration, overcoming drug resistance, and cell cycle arrest. However, steroidal saponins have limitations, such as higher cytotoxicity and lower bioavailability. Furthermore, strategies to address these drawbacks have been proposed.

CONCLUSION

In summary, isospirostanol and cholestanol steroidal saponins demonstrate notable antitumor activity and different structural categories of steroidal saponins exhibit variations in their antitumor signaling pathways. However, the clinical application of steroidal saponins in cancer treatment still faces limitations, and further research and development are necessary to advance their potential in tumor therapy.

Anticancer Effects and Mechanisms of OSW-1 Isolated From Ornithogalum saundersiae: A Review

For centuries, cancer has been a lingering dark cloud floating on people's heads. With rapid population growth and aging worldwide, cancer incidence and mortality are growing rapidly. Despite major advances in oncotherapy including surgery, radiation and chemical therapy, as well as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, cancer is expected be the leading cause of premature death in this century. Nowadays, natural compounds with potential anticancer effects have become an indispensable natural treasure for discovering clinically useful agents and made remarkable achievements in cancer chemotherapy. In this regards, OSW-1, which was isolated from the bulbs of Ornithogalum saundersiae in 1992, has exhibited powerful anticancer activities in various cancers. However, after almost three decades, OSW-1 is still far from becoming a real anticancer agent for its anticancer mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this review we summarize the available evidence on the anticancer effects and mechanisms of OSW-1 in vitro and in vivo, and some insights for researchers who are interested in OSW-1 as a potential anticancer drug. We conclude that OSW-1 is a potential candidate for anticancer drugs and deserves further study.

Discovery of SBF1 as an allosteric inhibitor targeting the PIF-pocket of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1

3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) plays a crucial role in the signal transduction of massive growth-related protein kinases. In this work, a computational study has been performed to investigate the binding pose of the hydrolyzed product of SBF1 (SBF1^-) with PDK1. The binding pose was predicted by Vina and was further refined in a molecular dynamics simulation. For comparison, four published low molecular weight compounds (PS48, PS171, PS182, and PS210) binding with PDK1 were also studied. SBF1^- was anchored in the PIF-pocket of PDK1 with salt bridge interaction using its carboxylate moiety, which is a common feature among the known ligands. Hydrogen bonds to THR148 and vdW interactions with GLN150 also have contributions to the association affinity. The allosteric regulation on PDK1 via the binding of SBF1^- was further addressed. The binding affinity of SBF1^- in complex with PDK1 is comparable to those of PS171 and PS182, with an estimated IC50 in a range from 2.0 to 10.0 μ molar. Comparison between the free energy profiles with the presence or absence of SBF1^- in the binding pocket indicates that the binding of SBF1^- enhances the hinge motion and suppresses the fluctuation of the end-to-end distance in α B of PDK1. These results demonstrate that SBF1^- is a promising allosteric regulator of PDK1 targeting the PIF-binding pocket and can serve as a new scaffold template for the design of new drugs targeting PDK1.

Effective cytotoxic activity of OSW-1 on colon cancer by inducing apoptosis in vitro and in vivo

As a natural compound, Ornithogalum caudatum Ait is primarily used as an anti-inflammatory and antitumor agent in Chinese folk medicine. In 1992, OSW-1 was isolated from this compound, which is a new member of cholestane saponin family. In numerous recent studies, OSW-1 has been shown to have powerful cytotoxic anticancer effects against various malignant cells. However, the therapeutic efficacy of OSW-1 on colon cancer and the underlying mechanism are not understood. To explore the mechanism underlying OSW-1 in antitumor therapy, a therapeutic function analysis of OSW-1 on colon cancer was performed in vitro and in vivo. It was shown that with low toxicity on normal colonic cells, OSW-1 suppresses colon cancer cells in vitro and this inhibition was via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, which increased cellular calcium, changed mitochondrial membrane potential, disrupted mitochondrial morphology, and led to the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase-3. Furthermore, in a nude mouse model, OSW-1 had a powerful effect on suppressing colon tumor proliferation without significant side effects through the apoptosis pathway. Taken together, these results demonstrate that OSW-1 is a potential drug for colon cancer treatment.

Open-chain steroidal glycosides, a diverse class of plant saponins

Saponins are an important class of plant natural products that consist of a triterpenoid or steroidal skeleton that is glycosylated by varying numbers of sugar units attached at different positions. Steroidal saponins are usually divided into two broad structural classes, namely spirostanol and furostanol saponins. A third, previously unrecognized structural class of plant saponins, the open-chain steroidal saponins, is introduced in this review; these possess an acyclic sidechain in place of the heterocyclic ring/s present in spirostanols and furostanols. Open-chain steroidal saponins are numerous and structurally diverse, with over 150 unique representatives reported from terrestrial plants. Despite this, they have to date been largely overlooked in reviews of plant natural products. This review catalogs the structural diversity of open-chain steroidal saponins isolated from terrestrial plants and discusses aspects of their structure elucidation, biological activities, biosynthesis, and distribution in the plant kingdom. It is intended that this review will provide a point of reference for those working with open-chain steroidal saponins and result in their recognition and inclusion in future reviews of plant saponins.

Effective killing of leukemia cells by the natural product OSW-1 through disruption of cellular calcium homeostasis

3β,16β,17α-Trihydroxycholest-5-en-22-one 16-O-(2-O-4-methoxybenzoyl-β-D-xylopyranosyl)-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-α-L-arabinopyranoside (OSW-1) is a natural product with potent antitumor activity against various types of cancer cells, but the exact mechanisms of action remain to be defined. In this study, we showed that OSW-1 effectively killed leukemia cells at subnanomolar concentrations through a unique mechanism by causing a time-dependent elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) prior to induction of apoptosis. A mechanistic study revealed that this compound inhibited the sodium-calcium exchanger 1 on the plasma membrane, leading to an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) and a decrease in cytosolic Na(+). The elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) caused mitochondrial calcium overload and resulted in a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, and activation of caspase-3. Furthermore, OSW-1 also caused a Ca(2+)-dependent cleavage of the survival factor GRP78. Inhibition of Ca(2+) entry into the mitochondria by the uniporter inhibitor RU360 or by cyclosporin A significantly prevented the OSW-1-induced cell death, indicating the important role of mitochondria in mediating the cytotoxic activity. The extremely potent activity of OSW-1 against leukemia cells and its unique mechanism of action suggest that this compound may be potentially useful in the treatment of leukemia.

Synthesis of cholestane saponins as mimics of OSW-1 and their cytotoxic activities

To fulfill the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of OSW-1, and aim at finding the simplest structural part while maintaining most of the biological activities, six cholestane saponins were synthesized by introducing OSW-1 disaccharide (2-O-4-methoxybenzoyl-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-α-L-arabinopyranosyl) and its 1→4-linked analogue to the 7-hydroxy or 16-hydroxy of steroidal sapogenins. Cytotoxic activities of the products were tested. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited potent cytotoxicities against five types of human tumor cells, with minimum IC(50) of 2.0 and 75 nM, respectively. And due to its high activity and easy accessibility compound 1 could be a potential candidate for new anti-tumor agents.

Preferential killing of cancer cells with mitochondrial dysfunction by natural compounds

Mitochondria play essential roles in cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis, and regulation of cell death. Emerging evidences suggest that cancer cells exhibit various degrees of mitochondrial dysfunctions and metabolic alterations, which may serve as a basis to develop therapeutic strategies to preferentially kill the malignant cells. Mitochondria as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment is gaining much attention in the recent years, and agents that impact mitochondria with anticancer activity have been identified and tested in vitro and in vivo using various experimental systems. Anticancer agents that directly target mitochondria or indirectly affect mitochondrial functions are collectively classified as mitocans. This review article focuses on several natural compounds that preferentially kill cancer cells with mitochondrial dysfunction, and discusses the possible underlying mechanisms and their therapeutic implications in cancer treatment. Mitocans that have been comprehensively reviewed recently are not included in this article. Important issues such as therapeutic selectivity and the relevant biochemical basis are discussed in the context of future perspectives.

A total synthesis of OSW-1

A new and practical method was developed to synthesize OSW-1, a natural saponin with potent antitumor activities, from (+)-dehydroisoandrosterone, l-arabinose, and D-xylose on gram scale. The synthesis was achieved in 10 linear steps with an overall yield of 6.4% starting from (+)-dehydroisoandrosterone.

Synthesis of the A,B-ring-truncated OSW saponin analogs and their antitumor activities

The A,B-ring-truncated OSW saponin analogs (1, 18a, and 18b) were synthesized. These greatly simplified trans-hydrindane disaccharides retained considerable inhibitory activity against the growth of HeLa and Jurkat T cells (IC(50)=0.8-21.1 microM).

Analysis of antitumor active OSW-1 and its analogues by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry

Three cholestane glycosides including OSW-1 with antitumor activity and two new analogues with modified steroidal side chains, thienyl OSW-1 and silylated thienyl OSW-1, were synthesized. Analyses were performed using optimized, reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) with electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS). The ionization mode and polarity, cone voltage, and chromatographic conditions were evaluated. The optimum LC/MS conditions to obtain valuable ions, indispensable for identifying the structures, are described. The key fragmentation pathways, which will be useful for confirming the detailed structures of steroidal glycosides, are also proposed.

Synthesis of OSW saponin analogs with modified sugar residues and their antiproliferative activities

Eight monosaccharide analogs of the potent antitumor OSW saponins (2-9) were synthesized. One analog, 2-O-acetyl-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside 3, showed antiproliferative activity against the Jurkat cells (IC(50)=0.078microM) comparable to that of the disaccharide derivative (1).

OSW saponins: facile synthesis toward a new type of structures with potent antitumor activities

[reaction: see text] OSW saponins, featuring a 16beta,17alpha-dihydroxycholest-22-one aglycon and an acylated beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl residue attached to the 16-hydroxyl group, have recently been discovered from a group of lily plants, which show potent antitumor activities with a novel mechanism of action. This paper describes an aldol approach to the stereoselective construction of the 16alpha,17alpha-dihydroxycholest-22-one structure from 16alpha-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-ones and propionates. Elaboration of the aldol adducts toward OSW-1, involving installation of the isoamyl ketone side chain, inversion of the 16-hydroxyl configuration, and selective protection of the C22-oxy function, has been explored and accomplished. In particular, the present route was found convenient for the synthesis of OSW saponin analogues with a C22-ester side chain. Thus, the 23-oxa-analogue of OSW-1 (40) was prepared starting from the industrial dehydroisoandrosterone (1) in a linear eight-step sequence and in 26% overall yield. Analogues with a variety of modified side chains were prepared, via aldol condensation with propionates of varying length, thiopropionate, and acetate (for preparation of 68-75) or via aminolysis of the 22,16-lactone 26 (for preparation of the 23-N-analogues). Cross metathesis (CM) reaction was also found feasible for modification at the final stage from C22-allyl ester 70. Valuable structure-activity relationships (SAR), together with the practical synthetic approach, have thus been provided to set a new stage for further studies on this new type of antitumor structures.

OSW-1: a natural compound with potent anticancer activity and a novel mechanism of action

The naturally occurring compound 3beta,16beta,17alpha-trihydroxycholest-5-en-22-one 16-O-(2-O-4-methoxybenzoyl-beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-(1-->3)-(2-O-acetyl-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside) (OSW-1) is found in the bulbs of Ornithogalum saudersiae and is highly cytotoxic against tumor cell lines. Using various human cancer and nonmalignant cell lines, we investigated the anticancer activity and selectivity of OSW-1 and its underlying mechanisms of action. OSW-1 exhibited extremely potent cytotoxic activity against cancer cells in vitro. Nonmalignant cells were statistically significantly less sensitive to OSW-1 than cancer cells, with concentrations that cause a 50% loss of cell viability 40-150-fold greater than those observed in malignant cells. Electron microscopy and biochemical analyses revealed that OSW-1 damaged the mitochondrial membrane and cristae in both human leukemia and pancreatic cancer cells, leading to the loss of transmembrane potential, increase of cytosolic calcium, and activation of calcium-dependent apoptosis. Clones of leukemia cells with mitochondrial DNA defects and respiration deficiency that had adapted the ability to survive in culture without mitochondrial respiration also were resistant to OSW-1. In vitro analysis revealed that OSW-1 effectively killed primary leukemia cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with disease refractory to fludarabine. The promising anticancer activity of OSW-1 and its unique mechanism of action make this compound worthy of further investigation for its potential to overcome drug resistance.

Fluorophore-Appended Steroidal Saponin (Dioscin and Polyphyllin D) Derivatives

The synthesis of three fluorophore-appended derivatives of dioscin and polyphyllin D is reported herein. Starting from trillin, dansyl derivatives A-C were prepared in overall yields of 7-12% over 7-10 steps. A study of their behavior in a variety of polar solvents suggests that dansyl derivatives A-C are capable of micellar self-assembly and can maintain cytotoxicities (IC50 = 15-18 muM) against the HeLa carcinoma cell line evaluated by standard MTT assay. [structure: see text]

Synthesis of analogues of a potent antitumor saponin OSW-1

A series of side chain analogues (5a-e), a 22-glycosylated isomer (10), and 16beta-O-l-arabinosyl (13a) or 16beta-O-d-xylosyl (13b) analogues of OSW-1 were synthesized. All analogues were found to be less cytotoxic against breast and endometrial cancer cell lines than the natural product.

Synthesis of OSW-1 analogs with modified side chains and their antitumor activities

Four analogs of OSW-1 (1-4) with modified side chains on the steroidal skeleton were synthesized following modification of our previous route for the total synthesis of OSW-1. Testing of the analogs against growth of tumor cells demonstrated that the 22-one function and the full length of the side chain of OSW-1 were not required for the antitumor action of OSW-1.

Synthesis of a cholestane glycoside OSW-1 with potent cytostatic activity

The potent antitumor agent OSW-1 was synthesized from the protected aglycone in different ways. It was proven that direct glycosylation of the aglycone in its hemiketal form could be achieved, affording the protected OSW-1 in a moderate yield. Alternatively, regioselective protection of the triol obtained by reduction of the aglycone, followed by glycosylation, deprotection and oxidation yielded the same OSW-1 derivative. The third approach to this compound consisted of glycosylation of the previously described lactol [Morzycki, J. W.; Gryszkiewicz, A. Polish J. Chem. 2001, 75, 983-989], reaction of the resulting aldehyde with a Grignard reagent, and oxidation. OSW-1 obtained on removal of the protective groups was identical with the natural product.