Citrinin as a potential anti-cancer therapy: A comprehensive review.

Citrinin (CIT) is a polyketide-derived mycotoxin, which is produced by many fungal strains belonging to the gerena Monascus, Aspergillus, and Penicillium. It has been postulated that mycotoxins have several toxic mechanisms and are potentially used as antineoplastic agents. Therefore, the present study carried out a systematic review, including articles from 1978 to 2022, by collecting evidence in experimental studies of CIT antiplorifactive activity in cancer. The Data indicate that CIT intervenes in important mediators and cell signaling pathways, including MAPKs, ERK1/2, JNK, Bcl-2, BAX, caspases 3,6,7 and 9, p53, p21, PARP cleavage, MDA, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses (SOD, CAT, GST and GPX). These factors demonstrate the potential antitumor drug CIT in inducing cell death, reducing DNA repair capacity and inducing cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in cancer cells.

Antitumor effects of citrinin in an animal model of Sarcoma 180 via cytogenetic mechanisms.

Citrinin (CIT) is a cytotoxic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic and cardiotoxic metabolite obtained from Penicillium citrinum, that has been increasingly searched as an anticancer drug candidate. In this study, we assessed the antitumor effects of citrinin, using cytogenetic biomarkers for genotoxicity in Sarcoma 180 (S-180) ascitic fluid cells of mice. Citrinin, extracted from P. citrinum acetonitrile extract, was characterized by LC-MS. Cytotoxic assessment was done through using comet (alkaline version) and micronucleus assays. In S-180 cells, CI50 of CIT was 3.77 µg/mL, while at 12.5 and 100 µg/mL, CIT was as cytotoxic as doxorubicin (2 µg/mL). At 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 µg/mL, it induced genotoxicity and mutagenicity in S-180 cells, especially at 2 µg/mL, triggering oxidative damage similar to hydrogen peroxide (10 mM). The antitumor effects were evidenced by a marked increase in S-180 cells apoptosis and necrosis due to clastogenic and/or aneugenic cytogenetic effects (micronucleus formation), as well as by induction of nucleoplasm bridges and nuclear buds, culminating in S-180 apoptosis and necrosis. CIT has potential as drug candidate for antitumor purposesbyinvolving cytogenetic mechanisms.