Erucin, a natural isothiocyanate, exerts pro-angiogenic properties in cultured endothelial cells and reverts angiogenic impairment induced by high glucose.

Insufficient vessel maintenance adversely impacts patients in terms of tissue reperfusion following stroke or myocardial infarction, as well as during wound healing. Angiogenesis impairment is a feature typical of metabolic disorders acting at the cardiovascular level, such as diabetes. Therapeutic angiogenesis regulation offers promising clinical implications, and natural compounds as pro-angiogenic nutraceuticals hold valuable applications in regenerative medicine. By using cultured endothelial cells from human umbilical veins (HUVEC) we studied functional and molecular responses following exposure to erucin, a natural isothiocyanate derived from Brassicaceae plants and extracted from the seeds of rocket. Erucin (at nanomolar concentrations) promotes cell migration and tube formation, similar to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), through mobilizing paxillin at endothelial edges. At the molecular level, erucin induces signaling pathways typical of angiogenesis activation, namely Ras, PI3K/AKT, and ERK1/2, leading to VEGF expression and triggering its autocrine production, as pharmacological inhibition of soluble VEGF and VEGFR2 dampens endothelial functions. Furthermore, erucin, alone and together with VEGF, preserves endothelial angiogenic functions under pathological conditions, such as those induced in HUVEC by high glucose (HG) exposure. Erucin emerges as a compelling candidate for therapeutic revascularization applications, showcasing promising prospects for natural compounds in regenerative medicine, particularly in addressing angiogenesis-related disorders.

Effects of erucin on inflammatory mediators and antioxidant enzymes' expression in TNF-α-stimulated human oral epithelial cells.

OBJECTIVES: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease induced by periodontal disease-causing bacteria. It has been shown that excessive immune response against bacteria is involved in periodontal tissue destruction including alveolar bone resorption. Erucin is a biologically active substance found in cruciferous plants such as arugula and is classified as an isothiocyanate. No previous studies have attempted to use erucin in the treatment of periodontitis, and there are no papers that have examined the effects of erucin on periodontal resident cells. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of erucin on the production of inflammatory and antioxidant mediators produced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated TR146 cells, an oral epithelial cell line, including its effects on signaling molecules. METHODS: Cytokine and chemokine levels were measured by ELISA. Protein expression in TR146 cells and activations of signal transduction pathway were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Our results indicate that erucin suppresses interleukin-6 and CXC-chemokine ligand 10 production and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in TNF-α-stimulated TR146 cells. In addition, erucin induced the production of the antioxidant enzymes, Heme Oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 in TR146 cells. Furthermore, erucin suppressed TNF-α-stimulated nuclear factor-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription3, and phospho-70S6 Kinase-S6 ribosomal protein signaling pathways in TR146 cells. We have shown that erucin has anti-inflammatory effects on oral epithelial cells and also induces the production of antioxidant mediators. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that erucin may provide a new anti-inflammatory agent that can be used in the treatment of periodontitis.

Erucin, an H2S-Releasing Isothiocyanate, Exerts Anticancer Effects in Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Triggering Autophagy-Dependent Apoptotic Cell Death.

Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer occurring in women of any age. Among the different types, the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is recognized as the most severe form, being associated with the highest mortality rate. Currently, there are no effective treatments for TNBC. For this reason, the research of novel therapeutics is urgently needed. Natural products and their analogs have historically made a major contribution to pharmacotherapy and the treatment of various human diseases, including cancer. In this study, we explored the potential anti-cancer effects of erucin, the most abundant H2S-releasing isothiocyanate present in arugula (Eruca sativa) in MDA-MB-231 cells, a validated in vitro model of TNBC. We found that erucin, in a concentration-dependent manner, significantly inhibited MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, erucin prevented intracellular ROS generation promoting the expression of key antioxidant genes and halted MDA-MB-231 cell migration, invasion, and colony formation. In conclusion, using a cellular and molecular biology approach, we show that the consumption of erucin could represent a novel and promising strategy for intervention against TNBC.

Effects of Nutraceuticals on Cisplatin-Induced Cytotoxicity in HEI-OC1 Cells.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of several solid tumors, whose use is limited by its nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, ototoxicity, and development of resistance. The toxicity is caused by DNA cross-linking, increase in reactive oxygen species and/or depletion of cell antioxidant defenses. The aim of the work was to study the effect of antioxidant compounds (Lisosan G, Taurisolo®) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-releasing compounds (erucin) in the auditory HEI-OC1 cell line treated with cisplatin. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. Caspase and sphingomyelinase activities were measured by fluorometric and colorimetric methods, respectively. Expression of transcription factors, apoptosis hallmarks and genes codifying for antioxidant response proteins were measured by Western blot and/or RT-qPCR. Lisosan G, Taurisolo® and erucin did not show protective effects. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a donor of H2S, increased the viability of cisplatin-treated cells and the transcription of heme oxygenase 1, superoxide dismutase 2, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase type 1 and the catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), the Bax/Bcl2 ratio, caspase-3, caspase-8 and acid sphingomyelinase activity. Therefore, NaHS might counteract the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin by increasing the antioxidant response and by reducing ROS levels and caspase and acid sphingomyelinase activity.

Cardiovascular benefits of Eruca sativa mill. Defatted seed meal extract: Potential role of hydrogen sulfide.

Eruca sativa Mill. is an edible plant belonging to the Brassicaceae botanical family with a long story as a medicinal material, mainly linked to the presence of glucoerucin. One of the main products of this glucosinolate is erucin, a biologicallly active isothiocyanate recently recognized as a hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) donor. In this work, an Eruca sativa extract has been obtained from a defatted seed meal (DSM), achieving a powder rich in thiofunctionalized glucosinolates, glucoerucin, and glucoraphanin, accounting for 95% and 5% of the total glucosinolate content (17% on a dry weight basis), associated with 13 identified phenolic acids and flavonoids accounting for 2.5%. In a cell-free model, Eruca sativa DSM extract slowly released H2 S. Moreover, this extract promoted significant hypotensive effects in hypertensive rats, and evoked dose-dependent cardioprotection in in vivo model of acute myocardial infarct, obtained through a reversible coronary occlusion. This latter effect was sensitive to blockers of mitochondrial KATP and Kv7.4 potassium channels, suggesting a potential role of these mitochondrial channels in the protective effects of Eruca sativa DSM extract. Accordingly, Eruca sativa DSM extract reduced calcium uptake and apoptotic cell death in isolated cardiac mitochondria. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Eruca sativa DSM extract is endowed with an interesting nutraceutical profile on the cardiovascular system due to, at least in part, its H2 S releasing properties. These results pave the way for future investigations on active metabolites.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of the Natural H2S-Donor Erucin in Vascular Endothelium.

Vascular inflammation (VI) represents a pathological condition that progressively affects the integrity and functionality of the vascular wall, thus leading to endothelial dysfunction and the onset of several cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the research of novel compounds able to prevent VI represents a compelling need. In this study, we tested erucin, the natural isothiocyanate H2S-donor derived from Eruca sativa Mill. (Brassicaceae), in an in vivo mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peritonitis, where it significantly reduced the amount of emigrated CD11b positive neutrophils. We then evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of erucin in LPS-challenged human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The pre-incubation of erucin, before LPS treatment (1, 6, 24 h), significantly preserved cell viability and prevented the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. Moreover, erucin downregulated endothelial hyperpermeability and reduced the loss of vascular endothelial (VE)-Cadherin levels. In addition, erucin decreased vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and microsomal prostaglandin E-synthase 1 (mPGES-1) expression. Of note, erucin induced eNOS phosphorylation and counteracted LPS-mediated NF-κB nuclear translocation, an effect that was partially abolished in the presence of the eNOS inhibitor L-NAME. Therefore, erucin can control endothelial function through biochemical and genomic positive effects against VI.

Phytochemical and In Silico ADME/Tox Analysis of Eruca sativa Extract with Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Anticancer Potential against Caco-2 and HCT-116 Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Eruca sativa Mill. (E. sativa) leaves recently grabbed the attention of scientific communities around the world due to its potent bioactivity. Therefore, the present study investigates the metabolite profiling of the ethanolic crude extract of E. sativa leaves using high resolution-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR-LC/MS), including antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer potential against human colorectal carcinoma cell lines. In addition, computer-aided analysis was performed for determining the pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity prediction of the identified compounds. Our results show that E. sativa contains several bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, fatty acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phenols. Furthermore, the antibacterial assay of E. sativa extract showed inhibitory effects of the tested pathogenic bacterial strains. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were found to be IC50 = 66.16 µg/mL and 76.05 µg/mL, respectively. E. sativa also showed promising anticancer activity against both the colorectal cancer cells HCT-116 (IC50 = 64.91 µg/mL) and Caco-2 (IC50 = 83.98 µg/mL) in a dose/time dependent manner. The phytoconstituents identified showed promising pharmacokinetics properties, representing a valuable source for drug or nutraceutical development. These investigations will lead to the further exploration as well as development of E. sativa-based nutraceutical products.

Anticancer properties of erucin, an H2 S-releasing isothiocyanate, on human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (AsPC-1).

Plants of the Brassicaceae family are well-known for containing the glucosinolate myrosinase system, which is able to release isothiocyanates after plant biotic and abiotic lesions. Erucin (ERU; 1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylthio)-butane), an isothiocyanate particularly abundant in arugula (Eruca sativa Mill., Eruca vesicaria L., etc.), derives from the hydrolysis of the glucosinolate glucoerucin by the enzyme myrosinase. Many other natural isothiocyanates influence cancer cells and, in particular, induce antiproliferative effects at relatively high concentrations. Similar antiproliferative effects have also been shown by the newly emerging gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) and by H2 S-releasing compounds. In a previous study, our group demonstrated that isothiocyanates release H2 S in biological environments. In this work, we demonstrated the H2 S-donor properties of ERU in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (AsPC-1) and delineated its profile as a chemopreventive or anticancer agent. Indeed, ERU showed significant antiproliferative effects: ERU inhibited AsPC-1 cell viability at relatively high concentrations (30-100 µM). Moreover, ERU inhibited cell migration, altered the AsPC-1 cell cycle, and exhibited proapoptotic effects. Finally, ERU inhibited ERK1/2 phosphorylation. This mechanism is particularly important in AsPC-1 cells because they are characterized by a mutation in KRAS that determines KRAS hyperactivation followed by MAP-kinase hyperphosphorylation, which plays a pivotal role in pancreatic cancer proliferation, growth, and survival.

Alpha-glucosidase and amylase inhibitory effects of Eruca vesicaria subsp. longirostris essential oils: synthesis of new 1,2,4-triazole-thiol derivatives and 1,3,4-thiadiazole with potential inhibitory activity.

Context: The substantial increase in the number of diabetics has encouraged the search for new pharmacological strategies to face this problem. In this regard, triazole and its derivatives have attracted considerable attention for the past few decades due to their pharmacological significance. Objective: Evaluation of the inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase in essential oils extracted from plant Eruca vesicaria (L) Cav. subsp. longirostris (Brassicaceae) (EVL) and to verify whether the triazoles and thiadiazol bearing the lipophilic 4-methylthiobutyl group synthesized from the essential oil contribute to this activity. Materials and methods: The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from leaf, stem, root, and fruit of EVL, and their chemical compositions were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We present here the synthesis of three new types of 1,2,4-triazole-thiol and 1,3,4-thiadiazol and the structures were confirmed by NMR, mass spectrometry. The α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities were investigated in vitro. Results: The main compound in fruit, stem, and root was erucin (96.6, 85.3, and 83.7%, respectively). The three essential oils of the fruit, stem, and root have strong inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and α-amylase; IC50 values of roots were 0.81 ± 0.02 µg/mL and 0.13 ± 0.01 µg/mL, respectively. Derivatives 1 b, 2 b, 3 b, and 2c showed remarkable inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase with potencies better than that of acarbose with IC50 values ranging between 0.49 and 1.43 µM. Conclusions: Current results indicate that ECL fruit essential oil can be used as a natural precursor for the synthesis of triazoles as potential hypoglycemic agents.

Absorption and metabolism of isothiocyanates formed from broccoli glucosinolates: effects of BMI and daily consumption in a randomised clinical trial.

Sulphoraphane originates from glucoraphanin in broccoli and is associated with anti-cancer effects. A preclinical study suggested that daily consumption of broccoli may increase the production of sulphoraphane and sulphoraphane metabolites available for absorption. The objective of this study was to determine whether daily broccoli consumption alters the absorption and metabolism of isothiocyanates derived from broccoli glucosinolates. We conducted a randomised cross-over human study (n 18) balanced for BMI and glutathione S-transferase µ 1 (GSTM1) genotype in which subjects consumed a control diet with no broccoli (NB) for 16 d or the same diet with 200 g of cooked broccoli and 20 g of raw daikon radish daily for 15 d (daily broccoli, DB) and 100 g of broccoli and 10 g of daikon radish on day 16. On day 17, all subjects consumed a meal of 200 g of broccoli and 20 g of daikon radish. Plasma and urine were collected for 24 h and analysed for sulphoraphane and metabolites of sulphoraphane and erucin by triple quadrupole tandem MS. For subjects with BMI >26 kg/m2 (median), plasma AUC and urinary excretion rates of total metabolites were higher on the NB diet than on the DB diet, whereas for subjects with BMI <26 kg/m2, plasma AUC and urinary excretion rates were higher on the DB diet than on the NB diet. Daily consumption of broccoli interacted with BMI but not GSTM1 genotype to affect plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of glucosinolate-derived compounds believed to confer protection against cancer. This trial was registered as NCT02346812.

Sensitization of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lines to 4-hydroxytamoxifen by isothiocyanates present in cruciferous plants.

PURPOSE: Tamoxifen has been used for the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers and in women who are at an increased risk of breast cancer. Acquired resistance to this drug and its toxicity still pose a clinically significant problem, especially in the prevention setting. Isothiocyanates present in cruciferous plants, such as sulforaphane or erucin, have been shown to reduce growth of breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we explored their ability to sensitize cancer cells to 4-hydroxytamoxifen. METHODS: We used three ER-positive breast cancer cell lines, T47D, MCF-7 and BT-474, as well as the drug-resistant T47D and MCF-7 derivatives. We examined the effect of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, isothiocyanates and their combinations on cell viability by MTT and clonogenic assays. Impact of treatments on the levels of proteins engaged in apoptosis and autophagy was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Isothiocyanates act in a synergistic way with 4-hydroxytamoxifen, and co-treatment reduces breast cancer cell viability and clonogenic potential more effectively than treatment with any single agent. This is connected with a drop in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and the level of survivin as well as increased PARP cleavage, and elevation in ADRP, the mitochondrial stress marker. Moreover, isothiocyanates sensitize 4-hydroxytamoxifen-resistant T47D and MCF-7 cells to the drug. CONCLUSION: Isothiocyanates enhance response to 4-hydroxytamoxifen, which allows for reduction of the effective drug concentration. Combinatorial strategy may hold promise in development of therapies and chemoprevention strategies against ER-positive breast tumors, even those with acquired resistance to the drug.

The isothiocyanate erucin abrogates telomerase in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in an orthotopic xenograft tumour model of HCC.

In contrast to cancer cells, most normal human cells have no or low telomerase levels which makes it an attractive target for anti-cancer drugs. The small molecule sulforaphane from broccoli is known for its cancer therapeutic potential in vitro and in vivo. In animals and humans it was found to be quickly metabolized into 4-methylthiobutyl isothiocyanate (MTBITC, erucin) which we recently identified as strong selective apoptosis inducer in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Here, we investigated the relevance of telomerase abrogation for cytotoxic efficacy of MTBITC against HCC. The drug was effective against telomerase, independent from TP53 and MTBITC also blocked telomerase in chemoresistant subpopulations. By using an orthotopic human liver cancer xenograft model, we give first evidence that MTBITC at 50 mg/KG b.w./d significantly decreased telomerase activity in vivo without affecting enzyme activity of adjacent normal tissue. Upon drug exposure, telomerase decrease was consistent with a dose-dependent switch to anti-survival, cell arrest and apoptosis in our in vitro HCC models. Blocking telomerase by the specific inhibitor TMPyP4 further sensitized cancer cells to MTBITC-mediated cytotoxicity. Overexpression of hTERT, but not enzyme activity deficient DNhTERT, protected against apoptosis; neither DNA damage nor cytostasis induction by MTBITC was prevented by hTERT overexpression. These findings imply that telomerase enzyme activity does not protect against MTBITC-induced DNA damage but impacts signalling processes upstream of apoptosis execution level.

Unravelling Glucoraphanin and Glucoerucin Metabolism across Broccoli Sprout Development: Insights from Metabolite and Transcriptome Analysis.

Variations in the concentration of glucoraphanin (GRA) and glucoerucin (GER), as well as the corresponding breakdown products, isothiocyanates (ITCs) and nitriles, were investigated during the growth of broccoli sprouts. The concentrations of GRA and GER decreased sharply from 33.66 µmol/g to 11.48 µmol/g and 12.98 µmol/g to 8.23 µmol/g, respectively, after seed germination. From the third to the seventh day, both GRA and GER were maintained as relatively stable. The highest concentrations of sulforaphane (17.16 µmol/g) and erucin (12.26 µmol/g) were observed on the first day. Hereafter, the concentrations of nitrile hydrolyzed from GRA or GER were higher than those of the corresponding ITCs. Moreover, the ratio of sulforaphane to sulforaphane nitrile decreased from 1.35 to 0.164 from 1 d to 5 d, with a similar trend exhibited for erucin/erucin nitrile after 2 d. RNA-seq analysis showed that BolMYB28 and BolCYP83A1, involved in aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL) biosynthesis, remained largely unexpressed until the third day. In contrast, the genes operating within the GSL-myrosinase hydrolysis pathway were highly expressed right from the beginning, with their expression levels increasing significantly after the third day. Additionally, we identified two BolESPs and six BolNSPs that might play important roles in promoting the production of nitriles during the development of broccoli sprouts.

The Dietary Isothiocyanate Erucin Reduces Kidney Cell Motility by Disturbing Tubulin Polymerization.

SCOPE: Epidemiological evidence associates the consumption of cruciferous vegetables with reduced risk of several cancers, including renal cell carcinoma. Erucin can be generated by in vivo reduction of sulforaphane or by enzymatic hydrolysis of glucoerucin. Contrarily to sulforaphane, only limited studies have addressed the anticancer properties of erucin. This study aims at evaluating the impact of erucin on renal cell biology. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effects of erucin were assessed in 786-O and Vero-E6 cells, representative of human renal cancer and non- cancer kidney cells, respectively. Erucin induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability and cell cycle arrest at G2/Mitosis. In Vero-E6 cells erucin modestly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels while in 786-O no effects were detected. After erucin treatment, both cell lines revealed altered morphology, with a concentration-dependent change from an elongated shape towards a smaller round conformation. Moreover, erucin affected cell adhesion and strongly altered the tubulin network structure and specifically microtubule polymerization. These results are in line with the observed decrease in collective and single cell migration and G2/Mitosis arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, erucin may have a beneficial impact in reducing the motility of renal cancer cells. Our results contribute to explore possible dietary approaches for secondary/tertiary renal cancer chemoprevention.

Erucin Exerts Cardioprotective Effects on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through the Modulation of mitoKATP Channels.

Modulation of mitochondrial K channels represents a pharmacological strategy to promote cardioprotective effects. Isothiocyanates emerge as molecules capable of releasing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous pleiotropic gasotransmitter responsible for anti-ischemic cardioprotective effects also through the involvement of mitoK channels. Erucin (ERU) is a natural isothiocyanate resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates (GSLs) present in Eruca sativa Mill. seeds, an edible plant of the Brassicaceae family. In this experimental work, the specific involvement of mitoKATP channels in the cardioprotective effect induced by ERU was evaluated in detail. An in vivo preclinical model of acute myocardial infarction was reproduced in rats to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of ERU. Diazoxide was used as a reference compound for the modulation of potassium fluxes and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5HD) as a selective blocker of KATP channels. Specific investigations on isolated cardiac mitochondria were carried out to evaluate the involvement of mitoKATP channels. The results obtained showed ERU cardioprotective effects against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage through the involvement of mitoKATP channels and the consequent depolarizing effect, which in turn reduced calcium entry and preserved mitochondrial integrity.

Neuroprotective effects of erucin against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced oxidative damage in a dopaminergic-like neuroblastoma cell line.

Oxidative stress (OS) contributes to the cascade leading to the dysfunction or death of dopaminergic neurons during Parkinson's disease (PD). A strategy to prevent the OS of dopaminergic neurons may be the use of phytochemicals as inducers of endogenous antioxidants and phase 2 enzymes. In this study, we demonstrated that treatment of the dopaminergic-like neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line with isothiocyanate erucin (ER), a compound of cruciferous vegetables, resulted in significant increases of both total glutathione (GSH) levels and total antioxidant capacity at the cytosolic level. The increase of GSH levels was associated with an increase in the resistance of SH-SY5Y cells to neuronal death, in terms of apoptosis, induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with ER was also shown to prevent the redox status impairment, in terms of intracellular ROS and O(2) (•-) formation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, early events that are initiators of the apoptotic process, induced by 6-OHDA. Last, the antiapoptotic and antioxidant effects of ER were abolished by buthionine sulfoximine, supporting the main role of GSH in the neuroprotective effects recorded by ER. These results suggest that ER may prevent the oxidative damage induced by 6-OHDA.

Antiproliferative and Proapoptotic Effects of Erucin, a Diet-Derived H2S Donor, on Human Melanoma Cells.

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and is characterized by chemotherapy resistance and recurrence despite the new promising therapeutic approaches. In the last years, erucin (ERU), the major isothiocyanate present in Eruca sativa, commonly known as rocket salads, has demonstrated great efficacy as an anticancer agent in different in vitro and in vivo models. More recently, the chemopreventive effects of ERU have been associated with its property of being a H2S donor in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Here, we investigated the effects of ERU in modulating proliferation and inducing human melanoma cell death by using multiple in vitro approaches. ERU significantly reduced the proliferation of different human melanoma cell lines. A flow cytometry analysis with annexin V/PI demonstrated that ERU was able to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in A375 melanoma cells. The proapoptotic effect of ERU was associated with the modulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related cadherins and transcription factors. Moreover, ERU thwarted the migration, invasiveness and clonogenic abilities of A375 melanoma cells. These effects were associated with melanogenesis impairment and mitochondrial fitness modulation. Therefore, we demonstrated that ERU plays an important role in inhibiting the progression of melanoma and could represent a novel add-on therapy for the treatment of human melanoma.

Frankincense oil-loaded nanoemulsion formulation of paclitaxel and erucin: A synergistic combination for ameliorating drug resistance in breast cancer: In vitro and in vivo study.

Nanoformulation-based combinational drug delivery systems are well known to overcome drug resistance in cancer management. Among them, nanoemulsions are well-known and thermodynamically stable drug delivery systems suitable for carrying hydrophobic drugs and phytoconstituents to tackle drug-resistant cancers. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of paclitaxel in combination with erucin (natural isothiocyanate isolated from the seeds of Eruca sativa) loaded in the frankincense oil-based nanoemulsion formulation. The choice of frankincense oil for the current study was based on reported research investigations stating its magnificient therapeutic potential against breast cancer. Optimized nanoemulsion of paclitaxel (PTX) and erucin (ER) combination (EPNE) provided sustained release and exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity towards human epithelial breast cancer cells (T-47D) as compared to individual ER and PTX. EPNE was further assessed for its antitumor activity in the 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer mice model. EPNE significantly decreased the levels of hepatic and renal parameters along with oxidative stress in breast cancer mice. Furthermore, EPNE also showed decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6. Histopathological examinations revealed restoration of the tumorous breast to normal tissues in EPNE-treated breast cancer mice. Therefore, EPNE can act as a viable lead and therapeutic option for drug-resistant breast cancer.

Erucin inhibits osteoclast formation via suppressing cell-cell fusion molecule DC-STAMP without influencing mineralization by osteoblasts.

OBJECTIVE: Erucin (ERN), an isothiocyanate, is derived from the vegetable arugula. Although ERN has antitumor and antioxidant activity, the effect of ERN on osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation is not well documented. In this study, we evaluated the effects of ERN on osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation in vitro. RESULTS: ERN significantly reduced the formation of 1α,25(OH)2D3-induced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Furthermore, ERN downregulated the mRNA expression of osteoclast-associated genes, such as nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic-1, TRAP, and cathepsin K. In addition, ERN suppressed mRNA expression of dendritic cell specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), which encodes cell-cell fusion. However, ERN did not affect mineralization by osteoblasts. Thus, our data suggest that ERN may attenuate osteoclastic bone resorption by inhibiting multinucleation of mononuclear pre-osteoclasts and by suppressing mRNA expression of DC-STAMP in bone marrow cells without influencing mineralization by osteoblasts.

Pharmacokinetics and toxicity profiling of 4-(methylthio)butyl isothiocyanate with special reference to pre-clinical safety assessment studies.

4-(methylthio)butyl isothiocyanate (4-MTBITC) also called erucin is abundantly present in the seeds of Eruca sativa plant closely related to cruciferous vegetables rich in isothiocyanates. We have previously reported the molecular targets of 4-MTBITC, but no acute, subacute and subchronic toxicity studies have been carried out to evaluate its safety. The non-everted gut sac method was used to study intestinal absorption and it revealed the highest absorption of 4-MTBITC in the jejunum. Dose-dependent pharmacokinetic parameters were observed in rats given 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg oral doses of 4-MTBITC. At the highest dose of 40 mg/kg, Cmax was 437.33 µg/ml and Tmax was 30 min, suggesting quick absorption and delayed elimination with elimination constant, 0.0036 ± 0.0002min-1. In a 14 days toxicity study, the mean LD50 of 4-MTBITC was 500 mg/kg body weight. After 28 and 90 days of treatment with 4-MTBITC (2.5, 10, 40 mg/kg/day), significant increases were observed in SGOT, cholesterol, and antioxidant enzymes. The levels of glycine, alanine and lysine were markedly increased in the liver tissue, thereby indicating that the liver was the target organ of 4-MTBITC induced toxicity in female animals. The histopathological examination of liver, kidney, and lung tissues revealed little focal necrosis, apoptosis, and reduction in the levels of amino acids involved in cellular metabolic pathways, indicating the anti-proliferative potential of 4-MTBITC against rapidly growing cells.