Potential cancer treatment effects of brusatol or eriodictyol combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in colorectal cancer cell.

Colorectal cancer is among the most frequently diagnosed cancers in patients today. In the treatment of this disease, combination or multicomponent therapy has been identified as a potential method to improve patient response and delay side effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effects on cell viability of commercial Bru and Erio used together with the anticancer drug 5-FU in the human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line (HT-29 cell line) for the first time, as far as can be determined from available literature at this time. Additionally, the research seeks to study any potential effects on apoptosis. For this purpose, the effects of independent and combined treatments of the aforementioned agents on cell viability were investigated through the MTT experiment. Apoptotic effects were determined by Annexin V/PI and real-time PCR methods. In addition, a cell cycle analysis was used to determine the distribution of cells in the cycle. Data from experiments for 48 h showed that Bru, alone or in combination with 5-FU, is capable of causing an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells in HT-29 cells compared to those of Erio alone or in combination with 5-FU. A significant increase in the level of bax and caspase-3 apoptotic genes was also detected in combinations of IC50 concentrations of Bru and 5-FU. These findings suggest that unlike Erio, Bru alone or in combination with 5-FU may be useful for increasing the effects of 5-FU used in the treatment of CRC and to provide data on alternative treatment approaches.

Assessment of Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities and Identification of Phenolic Compounds of Centaurea solstitialis and Urospermum picroides from Turkey

HIGHLIGHTS The phenolic composition, antioxidant activity and cytotoxic potential of the extracts of C. solstitialis and U. picroides were investigated. Caffeic acid was found as the most abundant phenolic compound in the extracts. Both species showed promising antioxidant activity towards different assays. The highest cytotoxic potential was observed in the extract of C. solstitialis.

Abstract It is known that some genera of the Asteraceae family are commonly used in Turkish folk medicine. Several studies have investigated the biological effects of different extracts of Centaurea and Urospermum species, but studies involving the phenolic composition of C. solstitialis and U. picroides extracts are very limited. This study aimed to investigate the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of C. solstitialis and U. picroides and evaluate their possible cytotoxic effect. RP-HPLC analysis was used to elucidate the phenolic profiles of the ethanolic extracts of flowering parts of C. solstitialis and U. picroides.The both ethanolic extracts were assessed for their antioxidant properties using DPPH, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating assays. Furthermore, the effect of the extracts on cell viability was evaluated against MCF-7 and PC-3 cancer cells and HEK293 cell line using the MTT assay. The most abundant phenolic compound in both extracts was determined to be caffeic acid, and the amount of this compound was 24078.03 and 14329.59 µg g-1 in the extracts of C. solstitialis and U. picroides, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was found similar. Compared with U. picroides extract, C. solstitialis extract had higher potential on the inhibition of cell viability. The IC50 value of C. solstitialis on MCF cells was found as 58.53 µg mL-1. These data suggest that the extracts of C. solstitialis and U. picroides may be considered as novel and alternative natural antioxidant and anticancer sources.

The Anticancer and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Centaurea solstitialis Extract on Human Cancer Cell Lines.

OBJECTIVES: Natural products originating from plants have been used for many years in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Centaurea solstitialis subsp. solstitialis is used in Turkish folk medicine. This study was the first to determine the in vitro biological effects of ethanolic extract from the flowering parts of C. solstitialis L. subsp. solstitialis collected from Mugla Province. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cytotoxic effect was evaluated against Daudi, A549, and HeLa cancer cells and one normal BEAS-2B cell line using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- dipenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Flow cytometric analysis and the caspase-3 activity assay were performed to detect apoptotic cell death. Angiogenic factor [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] secretion and the release of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by cells treated with the extract were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The extract exhibited cytotoxic effects against all the cancer cell lines used but HeLa and Daudi were the most sensitive cells, with IC50 values of 63.18 µg/mL and 69.27 µg/mL, respectively. Selective cytotoxicity was observed between the HeLa and normal BEAS-2B cell lines. The extract arrested the cell cycle at the S and G2 phases. In addition, apoptotic cell death was detected in HeLa and A549 cells. Moreover, the plant extract caused a significant decrease in VEGF secretion in A549 cells and a fluctuation in IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α secretion in A549 and Daudi cells. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that the flowering parts of C. solstitialis may be a potential source in the development of natural drugs for the treatment of cancer and modulation of cytokine secretion.