An Insight into the Mechanism of Holamine- and Funtumine-Induced Cell Death in Cancer Cells

Holamine and funtumine, steroidal alkaloids with strong and diverse pharmacological activities are commonly found in the Apocynaceae family of Holarrhena. The selective anti-proliferative and cell cycle arrest effects of holamine and funtumine on cancer cells have been previously reported. The present study evaluated the anti-proliferative mechanism of action of these two steroidal alkaloids on cancer cell lines (HT-29, MCF-7 and HeLa) by exploring the mitochondrial depolarization effects, reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, apoptosis, F-actin perturbation, and inhibition of topoisomerase-I. The apoptosis-inducing effects of the compounds were studied by flow cytometry using the APOPercentage^TM dye and Caspase-3/7 Glo assay kit. The two compounds showed a significantly greater cytotoxicity in cancer cells compared to non-cancer (normal) fibroblasts. The observed antiproliferative effects of the two alkaloids presumably are facilitated through the stimulation of apoptosis. The apoptotic effect was elicited through the modulation of mitochondrial function, elevated ROS production, and caspase-3/7 activation. Both compounds also induced F-actin disorganization and inhibited topoisomerase-I activity. Although holamine and funtumine appear to have translational potential for the development of novel anticancer agents, further mechanistic and molecular studies are recommended to fully understand their anticancer effects.     

Synthesis of chalcones with anticancer activities

Several chalcones were synthesized and their in vitro cytotoxicity against various human cell lines, including human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, human prostate cancer cell line PC3, human adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 (colorectal cancer) and human normal liver cell line WRL-68 was evaluated. Most of the compounds being active cytotoxic agents, four of them with minimal IC?? values were chosen and studied in detail with MCF-7 cells. The compounds 1, 5, 23, and 25 were capable in eliciting apoptosis in MCF-7 cells as shown by multiparameter cytotoxicity assay and caspase-3/7, -8, and -9 activities (p < 0.05). The ROS level showed 1.3-fold increase (p < 0.05) at the low concentrations used and thus it was concluded that the compounds increased the ROS level eventually leading to apoptosis in MCF-7 cells through intrinsic as well as extrinsic pathways.     

Biological Properties of New Chiral 2-Methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinolin-8-amine-based Compounds

The synthesis of a small library of 8-substituted 2-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline derivatives is presented. All the compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activity in non-cancer human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and cancer cells: human T-lymphocyte cells (CEM), human cervix carcinoma cells (HeLa), human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29), ovarian carcinoma (A2780), and biphasic mesothelioma (MSTO-211H). Compounds 3a, 5a, and 2b, showing significant IC₅₀ values against the whole panel of the selected cells, were further synthesized and tested as pure enantiomers in order to shed light on how their stereochemistry might impact on the related biological effect. The most active compound (R)-5a was able to affect cell cycle phases and to induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization and cellular ROS production in A2780 cells.     

Syntheses and Antiproliferative Activities of Novel Diarylthiosemicarbazide Derivatives

A series of novel N-methylpicolinamide-moiety containing diarylthiosemicarbazide derivatives was prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines(human alveolar epithelial cell A549, human lung cancer cell H460 and human colorectal cancer cell HT-29) by 3-(4,5-dimethyl)thiazolyl-diphenyltetrazoliumromide(MTT) assay. Six compounds(7b―7g) with halogen substituents exhibited preferable cytotoxicity against one or more cell lines in a low micromolar range. Especially, the most promising compound 7g exhibited remarkable antiproliferative activity with the IC50 values of 2.2, 1.8 and 5.2 μmol/L against A549, H460 and HT-29 cell lines respectively, which is comparable to sorafenib.     

Straightforward synthesis,antiproliferative screening,and density functional theory study of some pyrazolylpyrimidine derivatives

Tetrahydropyrimidinone derivative was synthesized through one-pot three components condensation of 1,3-diphenylpyrazole-4-carbaldehyde with pentan-2,4-dione and urea under Biginelli reaction conditions. The corresponding chloro- and hydrazino derivatives were synthesized and utilized for the construction of some valuable N-heterocycles encompassing both pyrazole and pyrimidine cores, such as triazolopyrimidine, tetrazolopyrimidine, pyrazole, and pyrazolone derivatives through condensation with nitrogen nucleophiles and carbon electrophiles. The antiproliferative activity evaluation of the synthesized compounds against four human carcinoma cell lines namely, liver carcinoma (HepG2), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), prostate cancer (PC3), and colon cancer (HCT-116) cell lines revealed that some of them provided significant potency, as well as the density-functional theory (DFT) was studied. The permeability of various hydrophilic and hydrophobic synthesized compounds across both normal and cancer cells is confirmed via DFT simulation in which the much higher permeability through aquaporin channels revealed the selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells.     

Alkaloid extracts of Ficus species and palm oil-derived tocotrienols synergistically inhibit proliferation of human cancer cells

Tocotrienols have been reported to possess anticancer effects other than anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study explored the potential synergism of antiproliferative effects induced by individual alkaloid extracts of Ficus fistulosa, Ficus hispida and Ficus schwarzii combined with δ- and γ-tocotrienols against human brain glioblastoma (U87MG), lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells. Cell viability and morphological results demonstrated that extracts containing a mixture of alkaloids from the leaves and bark of F. schwarzii inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 cells, whereas the alkaloid extracts of F. fistulosa inhibited the proliferation of both U87MG and HT-29 cells and showed synergism in combined treatments with either δ- or γ-tocotrienol resulting in 2.2–34.7 fold of reduction in IC₅₀ values of tocotrienols. The observed apoptotic cell characteristics in conjunction with the synergistic antiproliferative effects of Ficus species-derived alkaloids and tocotrienols assuredly warrant future investigations towards the development of a value-added chemotherapeutic regimen against cancers.     

Synthesis and pharmacological activity of diterpenylnaphthoquinone derivatives

New diterpenylquinones, combining a diterpene diacid and a naphthoquinone, were prepared from junicedric acid and lapachol. The new derivatives were assessed as gastroprotective agents by the HCl-EtOH-induced gastric lesions model in mice as well as for basal cytotoxicity on the following human cell lines: Normal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5), gastric epithelial adenocarcinoma (AGS), and hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2). Several of the new compounds were significantly active as antiulcer agents and showed selective cytotoxicity against AGS cells.     

Design,Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Novel 6-（Aminophenyl）-2,4-bismorpholino-1,3,5-triazine Derivatives Bearing Arylmethylene Hydrazine Moiety

In an attempt to develop potent and selective anticancer agents,we designed and synthesized a series of novel bis（morpholino-1,3,5-triazine） derivatives beating aylmethylene hydrazine moiety and evaluated their cytotoxicity,in vitro,against H460（non-small-cell lung cancer）,HT-29（human colorectal cancer） and MDA-MB-231（human breast cancer） cell lines.The pharmacological results indicate that all the compounds exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity than BMCL-200908069-1,and six target compounds（7e,7h,7j,9a,9b,9c） were superior to PAC-1 against all the tested cancer cell lines.The most active compound 7j,with IC50（inhibitory concentration 50％）values of 0.75,0.34 and 0.60 μ mol/L against HT-29,H460 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines,was 39-,28-,and 60-fold more potent than BMCL-200908069-1 （29.24,9.52 and 36.21 μmol/L）,respectively.     

Albatrellus confluens (Alb. & Schwein.) Kotl. & Pouz.: Natural Fungal Compounds and Synthetic Derivatives with In Vitro Anthelmintic Activities and Antiproliferative Effects against Two Human Cancer Cell Lines

Neglected tropical diseases affect the world’s poorest populations with soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis being among the most prevalent ones. Mass drug administration is currently the most important control measure, but the use of the few available drugs is giving rise to increased resistance of the parasites to the drugs. Different approaches are needed to come up with new therapeutic agents against these helminths. Fungi are a source of secondary metabolites, but most fungi remain largely uninvestigated as anthelmintics. In this report, the anthelmintic activity of Albatrellus confluens against Caenorhabditis elegans was investigated using bio-assay guided isolation. Grifolin (1) and neogrifolin (2) were identified as responsible for the anthelmintic activity. Derivatives 4–6 were synthesized to investigate the effect of varying the prenyl chain length on anthelmintic activity. The isolated compounds 1 and 2 and synthetic derivatives 4–6, as well as their educts 7–10, were tested against Schistosoma mansoni (adult and newly transformed schistosomula), Strongyloides ratti, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Necator americanus, and Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Prenyl-2-orcinol (4) and geranylgeranyl-2-orcinol (6) showed promising activity against newly transformed schistosomula. The compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 were also screened for antiproliferative or cytotoxic activity against two human cancer lines, viz. prostate adenocarcinoma cells (PC-3) and colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29). Compound 6 was determined to be the most effective against both cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 16.1 µM in PC-3 prostate cells and 33.7 µM in HT-29 colorectal cells.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of novel N-methyl-4-phenoxypicolinamide derivatives

A series of N-methyl-4-phenoxypicolinamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against A549, H460 and HT29 cell lines. Pharmacological data indicated that some of the target compounds possessed marked antiproliferative activity, superior to that of the reference drug sorafenib. As the most promising compound, 8e exhibited potent cytotoxicity with the IC(50) value of 3.6, 1.7 and 3.0 μM against A549, H460 and HT-29 cell lines, respectively.     

Cytotoxicity of constituents from Mexican propolis against a panel of six different cancer cell lines

The cytotoxicity of 39 compounds, including eighteen flavonoids (flavanones, 1-10; flavones, 11-17; flavanol, 18), sixteen phenolic acid derivatives (aromatic acids, 19-24; aldehyde, 25; esters, 26-34) and five glycerides (35-39), isolated from Mexican propolis, were evaluated against a panel of six different cancer cell lines; murine colon 26-L5 carcinoma, murine B16-BL6 melanoma, murine Lewis lung carcinoma, human lung A549 adenocarcinoma, human cervix HeLa adenocarcinoma and human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma. A phenylpropanoid-substituted flavanol, (2R,3S)-8-[4-phenylprop-2-en-1-one]-4',7-dihydroxy-3',5-dimethoxyflavan-3-ol (18), showed the most potent cytotoxicity against A549 cells (IC50, 6.2 microM) and HT-1080 cells (IC50, 3.9 microM), stronger than those of the clinically used anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil (IC50, 7.5 microM and 5.4 microM, respectively). Based on the observed results, the structure-activity relationships are discussed.     

Synthesis,Antiproliferative, and c‐Src Kinase Inhibitory Activities of 4‐Oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran Derivatives

A new class of 4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran derivatives were synthesized and their antiproliferative activity examined against a panel of three human cancer cell lines, that is, breast carcinoma (MDA‐MB‐468), ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK‐OV‐3), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT‐29). Two compounds, that is, 3‐hexyl‐7,8‐dihydroxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran and (E)‐ethyl 3‐(7‐methoxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐3‐yl)acrylate were found to be potent against all three cancer cell lines studied at 50 μM concentration. Also, the inhibitory potency of the compounds was evaluated against active Src kinase. A few of these compounds exhibited modest Src kinase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 52–57 μM). Structure‐activity relationship studies with respect to the nature and position of substituents on the lead compounds could be further exploited for the design and development of more potent antiproliferative agents and/or Src kinase inhibitors.     

天然产物Luxenchalcone的全合成

以对羟基苯甲醛和2,4-二羟基苯乙酮为起始原料,经过甲氧甲基化、溴代、Ullmann反应、羟醛缩合和脱保护等反应,完成了天然产物双查尔酮Luxenchalcone的全合成,关键步骤为Ullmann反应,重要中间体和目标产物的化学结构经 ¹H NMR,¹³C NMR和ESI-MS等表征确认.     

Synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives

<正>A series of quinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives were designed and synthesized.Their cytotoxicity in vitro against four cancer cell lines(A549,HT-29,MDA-MB-231 and SMMC-7721) were evaluated by standard MTT assay.The pharmacological results showed that most of the prepared compounds displayed excellent selective cytotoxicity toward SMMC-7721 cell line.Among them, compounds 7c,7e,11b,11f and 11g were more active than Gefitinb against SMMC-7721 cell line.     

Cytotoxicity of guanine-based degradation products contributes to the antiproliferative activity of guanine-rich oligonucleotides

Guanine-rich oligonucleotides (GROs) have attracted considerable attention as anticancer agents, because they exhibit cancer-selective antiproliferative activity and can form G-quadruplex structures with higher nuclease resistance and cellular uptake. Recently, a GRO, AS1411 has reached phase II clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia and renal cell carcinoma. The antiproliferative activity of GROs has been associated with various protein targets; however the real mechanisms of action remain unclear. In this study, we showed evidence that antiproliferative activity of GROs (including AS1411) is mainly contributed by the cytotoxicity of their guanine-based degradation products, such as monophosphate deoxyguanosine (dGMP), deoxyguanosine (dG) and guanine. The GROs with lower nuclease resistance exhibited higher antiproliferative activity. Among nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases, only guanine-based compounds showed highly concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that it is necessary to reconsider the cancer-selective antiproliferative activity of GROs. Since guanine-based compounds are endogenous substances in living organisms, systematic studies of the cytotoxicity of these compounds will provide new information for the understanding of certain diseases and offer useful information for drug design.     

Design,synthesis and antitumor activity of 3-substituted quinolone derivatives （Ⅰ）

A series of quinolone derivatives containing benzimidazole, benzoxazole or benzothiazole ring were synthesized. The cytotoxicity of 12 new compounds was evaluated in KB, Be17402, A2780 and HT-29 cell lines. Most of synthesized compounds showed moderate inhibitory activity against cancer cells. The inhibitory activities of 6k, against KB and A2780 tumor ceils are comparable to that of topotecan, one of topoisomerase I inhibitors.     

Design,synthesis, and evaluation of novel combretastatin A-4 based chalcone derivatives as anticancer agents

A series of combretastatin A-4 based chalcones ( 14a-l ) were designed, synthesized and these compounds examined for inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), melanoma (A375), and colon (HT-29) carcinoma cells. Compounds 14b , 14c , 14e , 14h , and 14i (tri/dimethoxy, methyl, and mono/dinitro derivatives) have exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity with IC₅₀ < 2 μM and the hexa methoxy derivative 14b , the most promising one, which displayed the potent inhibitory activities in MCF-7 (IC₅₀: 10 nM), A375 (IC₅₀: 12 nM), and A549 (IC₅₀: 65 nM) cell lines, and is 18 times more potent than the CA-4. Compound 14b represents a new scaffold and the results provide insights into further development of anticancer agents.     

New Organoselenium (NSAIDs-Selenourea and Isoselenocyanate) Derivatives as Potential Antiproliferative Agents: Synthesis,Biological Evaluation and in Silico Calculations

In this study, we report on the synthesis of new organoselenium derivatives, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) scaffolds and Se functionalities (isoselenocyanate and selenourea), which were evaluated against four types of cancer cell line: SW480 (human colon adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (human cervical cancer cells), A549 (human lung carcinoma cells), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cells). Among these compounds, most of the investigated compounds reduced the viability of different cancer cell lines. The most promising compound 6b showed IC₅₀ values under 10 μM against the four cancer cell lines, particularly to HeLa and MCF-7, with IC₅₀ values of 2.3 and 2.5 μM, respectively. Furthermore, two compounds, 6b and 6f, were selected to investigate their ability to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via modulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2) and proapoptotic caspase-3 protein. The redox properties of the NSAIDs-Se derivatives were conducted by 2, 2-didiphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), bleomycin-dependent DNA damage and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like assays. Finally, a molecular docking study revealed that an interaction with the active site of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) predicted the antiproliferative activity of the synthesized candidates. Overall, these results could serve as a promising launch point for further designs of NSAIDs-Se derivatives as potential antiproliferative agents.     

Biological Activity of an Epilobium angustifolium L. (Fireweed) Infusion after In Vitro Digestion

The biological activity of an in vitro digested infusion of Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed) was examined in a model system of intestinal epithelial and colon cancer tissues. The content of selected phenolic compounds in the digested aqueous extract of fireweed was determined using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. Biological activity was examined using the human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines HT-29 and CaCo-2 and the human colon epithelial cell line CCD 841 CoTr. Cytotoxicity was assessed by an MTT assay, a Neutral Red uptake assay, May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining, and a label-free Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing cytotoxicity assay. The effect of the infusion on the growth of selected intestinal bacteria was also examined. The extract inhibited the growth of intestinal cancer cells HT-29. This effect can be attributed to the activity of quercetin and kaempferol, which were the most abundant phenolic compounds found in the extract after in vitro digestion. The cytotoxicity of the fireweed infusion was dose-dependent. The highest decrease in proliferation (by almost 80%) compared to the control was observed in HT-29 line treated with the extract at a concentration of 250 μg/mL. The fireweed infusion did not affect the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, but it did significantly inhibit E. coli. The cytotoxic effect of the fireweed extract indicates that it does not lose its biological activity after in vitro digestion. It can be concluded that the fireweed infusion has the potential to be used as a supporting agent in colon cancer therapy.     

Synthesis and evaluation of antiproliferative activity of substituted N-(9-oxo-9H-xanthen-4-yl)benzenesulfonamides

Several novel N-(9-oxo-9H-xanthen-4-yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives were prepared as potential antiproliferative agents. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds was investigated against a panel of tumor cell lines including breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, T-47D) and neuroblastoma cell line (SK-N-MC) using MTT colorimetric assay. Etoposide, a well-known anticancer drug, was used as a positive standard drug. Among synthesized compounds, 4-methoxy-N-(9-oxo-9H-xanthen-4-yl)benzenesulfonamide (5i) showed the highest antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231, T-47D, and SK-N-MC cells. Furthermore, pentafluoro derivatives 5a and 6a exhibited higher antiproliferative activity than doxorubicin against human leukemia cell line (CCRF-CEM) and breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-468) cells. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed that xanthone benzenesulfonamide hybrid compounds can be used for the development of new lead anticancer agents.