Diarylheptanoids with hypoglycemic potency from the rhizomes of Kaempferia galanga.

Five new diarylheptanoids, kaemgalangins A-E (1-5), and seven known ones were isolated from the rhizomes of Kaempferia galanga. The structures of new compounds were identified by spectroscopic analyses involving 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, IR, UV, [α]D, ECD calculations, and chemical methods. All compounds were tested for their hypoglycemic effects against α-glucosidase, Gpa and PTP1B enzymes, and stimulative effects on GLP-1 secretion. Kaemgalangins A (1) and E (5) showed significant inhibition on α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 45.3 and 116.0 µM; renealtin B (8) showed inhibition on GPa with an IC50 value of 68.1 µM; whereas all compounds were inactive to PTP1B. Docking study manifested that 1 well located in the catalytic pocket of α-glucosidase and OH-4″ played important roles in maintaining activity. Moreover, all compounds showed obviously stimulative effects on GLP-1 with promoting rates of 826.9%-1738.3% in NCI-H716 cells. This study suggests that the diarylheptanoids in K. galanga have antidiabetic potency by inhibiting α-glucosidase and Gpa enzymes, and promoting GLP-1 secretion.

Pharmacological safety of dimethoxy curcumin-human serum albumin conjugate for potential therapeutic purpose.

Medicinal properties of curcumin are widely published. Previously, researchers used curcuminoid mixture comprising three chemical forms, out of which, the highest quantity is the most active molecule-dimethoxy curcumin (DMC). Reduced bioavailability, poor aqueous solubility, and quick hydrolytic degradation of DMC have projected challenges limiting its therapeutic value. However, selective conjugation of DMC with human serum albumin (HSA) enhances drug stability and solubility by several folds. Studies using animal models demonstrated potential anti-cancer/anti-inflammatory effects of DMCHSA; both studies showed results of local administration in peritoneal cavity and rabbit knee joint. DMC has prospects as intravenous therapeutic agent because carrier is HSA. However, before in vivo testing, important preclinical data required are toxicological safety and bioavailability of soluble forms of DMC. This study evaluated absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of DMCHSA. Imaging technology and molecular analysis proved bio-distribution. The study also assessed the pharmacological safety of DMCHSA in mice in terms of its acute and sub-acute toxicity, complying with regulatory toxicology. Overall, the study demonstrated the safety pharmacology of DMCHSA upon intravenous infusion. This is a novel study establishing the safety of highly soluble and stable formulation of DMCHSA, qualifying it for intravenous administration and further efficacy evaluation in suitable disease models.

Computational approach to decode the mechanism of curcuminoids against neuropathic pain.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin (CUR), demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) are the main components of turmeric that commonly used to treat neuropathic pain (NP). However, the mechanism of the therapy is not sufficiently clarified. Herein, network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) approaches were used to investigate the mechanism of curcuminoids for NP treatment. METHODS: Active targets of curcuminoids were obtained from the Swiss Target database, and NP-related targets were retrieved from GeneCards, OMIM, Drugbank and TTD databases. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built to screen the core targets. Furthermore, DAVID was used for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Interactions between potential targets and curcuminoids were assessed by molecular docking and the MD simulations were run for 100ns to validate the docking results on the top six complexes. RESULTS: CUR, DMC, and BDMC had 100, 99 and 100 targets respectively. After overlapping with NP there were 33, 33 and 31 targets respectively. PPI network analysis of TOP 10 core targets, TNF, GSK3ß were common targets of curcuminoids. Molecular docking and MD results indicated that curcuminoids bind strongly with the core targets. The GO and KEGG showed that curcuminoids regulated nitrogen metabolism, the serotonergic synapse and ErbB signaling pathway to alleviate NP. Furthermore, specific targets in these three compounds were also analysed at the same time. CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically explored and compared the anti-NP mechanism of curcuminoids, providing a novel perspective for their utilization.

Influence of different preparation techniques on the composition and antioxidant action of curcumin and curcuminoids / Influencia de diferentes técnicas de preparación en la composición y acción antioxidante de la curcumina y los curcuminoides

Epidemiological evidence indicates that plant antioxidants activity can treat or help to prevent the development of various diseases. One species with great potential as an antioxidant is Curcuma longa. However, different extraction techniquescan influence isolated chemical compounds. This study investigated chemical composition and antioxidant activity of two rhizome extracts of C. longa: hydroethanolic, obtained by exhaustion (HECLex); and dried by a spray dryer (HECLsd). The phytochemical composition was evaluated by GC/MS. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH and FRAP assays. Total phenolic compounds and soil analyses were performed. The main components of HECLex were ar-turmerone, γ-curcumene, α-turmerone, and ß-sesquiphellandrene. The main components of HECLsd were 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, 2, 3-bis([trimethylsilyl]oxy) propyl ester, verrucarol, and 1-monolinoleoylglycerol trimethylsilyl ether. HECLsd had significantly higher levels of phenolic compounds and higher antioxidant capacity compared with HECLex. In conclusion, processes of the preparation of C. longarhizomes alter the chemical components and consequently their biological activity.

La evidencia epidemiológica indica que la actividad de los antioxidantes de las plantas pueden tratar o ayudar a prevenir el desarrollo de diversas enfermedades. Una especie con gran potencial como antioxidante es Curcuma longa. Sin embargo, diferentes técnicas de extracción pueden influir en los compuestos químicos aislados. Este estudio investigó la composición química y la actividad antioxidante de dos extractos de rizoma de C. longa: hidroetanólico, obtenido por agotamiento (HECLex); y se seca con un secador por pulverización (HECLsd). La composición fitoquímica se evaluó mediante GC/MS. La actividad antioxidante se evaluó mediante ensayos DPPH y FRAP. Se realizaron análisis de suelos y compuestos fenólicos totales. Los componentes principales de HECLex fueron ar-turmerona, γ-curcumene, α-turmerone y ß-sesquiphellandrene. Los componentes principales de HECLsd fueron ácido 9,12,15-octadecatrienoico, éster 2,3-bis ([trimetilsilil] oxi) propílico, verrucarol y éter 1-monolinoleoilglicerol trimetilsilil. HECLsd tenía niveles significativamente más altos de compuestos fenólicos y mayor capacidad antioxidante en comparación con HECLex. En conclusión, los procesos de preparación de los rizomas de C. longa alteran los componentes químicos y consecuentemente su actividad biológica.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Derivatives of Curcuminoids with Cytotoxicity.

Curcumin and curcuminoids have been discussed frequently due to their promising functional groups (such as scaffolds of α,ß-unsaturated ß-diketone, α,ß-unsaturated ketone and ß'-hydroxy-α,ß-unsaturated ketone connected with aromatic rings on both sides) that play an important role in various bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferation and anticancer activity. A series of novel curcuminoid derivatives (a total of 55 new compounds) and three reference compounds were synthesized with good yields using three-step organic synthesis. The anti-proliferative activities of curcumin derivatives were examined for six human cancer cell lines: HeLaS3, KBvin, MCF-7, HepG2, NCI-H460 and NCI-H460/MX20. Compared to the IC50 values of all the synthesized derivatives, most α,ß-unsaturated ketones displayed potent anti-proliferative effects against all six human cancer cell lines, whereas ß'-hydroxy-α,ß-unsaturated ketones and α,ß-unsaturated ß-diketones presented moderate anti-proliferative effects. Two potent curcuminoid derivatives were found among all the novel derivatives and reference compounds: (E)-5-hydroxy-7-phenyl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)hept-1-en-3-one (compound 3) and (1E,4E)-1,7-bis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)hepta-1,4-dien-3-one (compound MD12a). These were selected for further analysis after the evaluation of their anti-proliferative effects against all human cancer cell lines. The results of apoptosis assays revealed that the number of dead cells was increased in early apoptosis and late apoptosis, while cell proliferation was also decreased after applying various concentrations of (E)-5-hydroxy-7-phenyl-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)hept-1-en-3-one (compound 3) and (1E,4E)-1,7-bis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)hepta-1,4-dien-3-one (compound MD12a) to MCF-7 and HpeG2 cancer cells. Analysis of the gene expression arrays showed that three genes (GADD45B, SESN2 and BBC3) were correlated with the p53 pathway. From the quantitative PCR analysis, it was seen that (1E,4E)-1,7-bis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)hepta-1,4-dien-3-one (compound MD12a) effectively induced the up-regulated expression of GADD45B, leading to the suppression of MCF-7 cancer cell formation and cell death. Molecular docking analysis was used to predict and sketch the interactions of the GADD45B-α,ß-unsaturated ketone complex for help in drug design.

Stable Catechol Keto Tautomers in Cytotoxic Heterodimeric Cyclic Diarylheptanoids from the Seagrass Zostera marina.

Two diarylheptanoid heterodimers, zosterabisphenones A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the seagrass Zostera marina. They feature unprecedented catechol keto tautomers, stable because of steric constraints. Their structure elucidation was based on extensive low-temperature NMR studies and ECD and MS data, with the essential aid of DFT prediction of NMR and ECD spectra. Zosterabisphenone B (2) was selectively cytotoxic against the adenocarcinoma colon cancer cell line HCT116 with IC50 3.6 ± 1.1 µM at 48 h.

Evaluation of Antiproliferative Palladium(II) Complexes of Synthetic Bisdemethoxycurcumin towards In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Molecular Docking on DNA Sequence.

Metallodrugs form a large family of therapeutic agents against cancer, among which is cisplatin, a paradigmatic member. Therapeutic resistance and undesired side effects to Pt(II) related drugs, prompts research on different metal-ligand combinations with potentially enhanced biological activity. We present the synthesis and biological tests of novel palladium(II) complexes containing bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) 1 and 2. Complexes were fully characterized and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. Their biological activity was assessed for several selected human tumor cell lines: Jurkat (human leukaemic T-cell lymphoma), HCT-116 (human colorectal carcinoma), HeLa (human cervix epitheloid carcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), MDA-MB-231 (human mammary gland adenocarcinoma), A549 (human alveolar adenocarcinoma), Caco-2 (human colorectal carcinoma), and for non-cancerous 3T3 cells (murine fibroblasts). The cytotoxicity of 1 is comparable to that of cisplatin, and superior to that of 2 in all cell lines. It is a correlation between IC50 values of 1 and 2 in the eight studied cell types, promising a potential use as anti-proliferative drugs. Moreover, for Jurkat cell line, complexes 1 and 2, show an enhanced activity. DFT and docking calculations on the NF-κB protein, Human Serum Albumin (HSA), and DNA were performed for 1 and 2 to correlate with their biological activities.

Alnus sibirica Compounds Exhibiting Anti-Proliferative, Apoptosis-Inducing, and GSTP1 Demethylating Effects on Prostate Cancer Cells.

Alnus sibirica (AS) is distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Russia and has reported anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and reducing activities on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions, along with other beneficial health properties. In the present study, we tried to prove the cancer-preventive activity against prostate cancer. The extracted and isolated compounds, oregonin (1), hirsutenone (2), and hirsutanonol (3), which were isolated from AS, were tested for anti-proliferative activity. To do this, we used the MTT assay; NF-κB inhibitory activity, using Western blotting; apoptosis-inducing activity using flow cytometry; DNA methylation activity, using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (PC-3) prostate cancer cell lines. The compounds (1-3) showed potent anti-proliferative activity against both prostate cancer cell lines. Hirsutenone (2) exhibited the strongest NF-κB inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing activities compared with oregonin (1) and hirsutanonol (3). DNA methylation activity, which was assessed for hirsutenone (2), revealed a concentration-dependent enhancement of the unmethylated DNA content and a reduction in the methylated DNA content in both PC-3 and LNCaP cells. Overall, these findings suggest that hirsutenone (2), when isolated from AS, may be a potential agent for preventing the development or progression of prostate cancer.

Activity of Fluorinated Curcuminoids against Leishmania major and Toxoplasma gondii Parasites.

A new 3,4-difluorobenzylidene analog of curcumin, CDF, was recently reported, which demonstrated significantly enhanced bioavailability and in vivo anticancer activity compared with curcumin. For highlighting the antiparasitic behavior of CDF, we tested this compound together with its new O-methylated analog MeCDF against Leishmania major and Toxoplasma gondii parasites. Both CDF and MeCDF were tested in vitro against L. major and T. gondii. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity against Vero cells and macrophages was determined and selectivity indices were calculated. The DPPH radical scavenging activity assay was carried out in order to determine the antioxidant activity of the test compounds. Both compounds showed high activities against both parasite forms with EC50 values in the (sub-)micromolar range (0.35 to 0.8 µM for CDF, 0.31 to 1.2 µM for MeCDF). The higher activity of CDF against L. major amastigotes when compared with MeCDF can in parts be attributed to the antioxidant activity of CDF while MeCDF lacking any antioxidant activity was more active than CDF against T. gondii parasites. In conclusion, CDF and MeCDF are promising antiparasitic drug candidates due to their high activities against L. major and T. gondii parasites.

PlatyphyllenoneExerts Anti-Metastatic Effects on Human Oral Cancer Cells by Modulating Cathepsin L Expression, MAPK Pathway and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Advanced-stage oral cancers with lymph node metastasis are associated with poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. Although recent advancement in cancer treatment has effectively improved the oral cancer prognosis, the majority of therapeutic interventions are highly expensive and are associated with severe sideeffects. In the present study, we studied the efficacy of a diarylheptanoid derivative, platyphyllenone, in modulating the metastatic potential of human oral cancer cells. Specifically, we treated the human oral cancer cells (FaDu, Ca9-22, and HSC3) with different concentrations of platyphyllenone and measured the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The study findings revealed that platyphyllenonesignificantly inhibited the motility, migration, and invasion of human oral cancer cells. Mechanistically, platyphyllenone reduced p38 phosphorylation, decreased ß-catenin and Slug, increased E-cadherin expression, and reduced cathepsin L expression, which collectively led to a reduction in cancer cell migration and invasion. Taken together, our study indicates that platyphyllenone exerts significant anti-metastatic effects on oral cancer cells by modulating cathepsin L expression, the MAPK signaling pathway, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process.

Near-Infrared-Emitting Boron-Difluoride-Curcuminoid-Based Polymers Exhibiting Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence as Biological Imaging Probes.

Near-infrared-emitting polymers were prepared using four boron-difluoride-curcuminoid-based monomers using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Well-defined polymers with molecular weights of ≈20 kDa and dispersities <1.07 were produced and exhibited near-infrared (NIR) emission in solution and in the solid state with photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL ) as high as 0.72 and 0.18, respectively. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy revealed thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in polymers containing highly planar dopants, whereas room-temperature phosphorescence dominated with twisted species. Density functional theory demonstrated that rotation about the donor-acceptor linker can give rise to TADF, even where none would be expected based on calculations using ground-state geometries. Incorporation of TADF-active materials into water-soluble polymer dots (Pdots) gave NIR-emissive nanoparticles, and conjugation of these Pdots with antibodies enabled immunofluorescent labeling of SK-BR3 human breast-cancer cells.

Myricanol-9-acetate, a Novel Naturally Occurring Derivative of Myricanol, Induces ROS-dependent Mitochondrial-mediated Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Low therapeutic efficacy and drug-induced systemic toxicity of currently used anti-cancerous chemotherapeutic agents are major compelling factors for finding out clinically efficient molecules with high efficiency and less toxicity. OBJECTIVE: The current research work was undertaken to evaluate the anticancer potential of Myricanol- 9-acetate (MA), a novel naturally occurring derivative of myricanol. METHODS: MCF-7, MiaPaCa-2, and HCT 116 were used for cytotoxicity determination of the MA and ML (Myricanol) by MTT assay. The mechanistic study involved the determination of cell cycle arrest, Δψm loss, ROS generation, western blot assay, flow cytometry by reported methods on MCF-7 cells. RESULTS: MA exhibited anticancer activity against all three cell lines, however, the molecule was found most active against the MCF-7 cell line. We observed IC5020 µM with MA treatment as compared to the IC50 of 42 µM for myricanol treatment. Detailed mechanistic studies revealed that MA induces apoptosis of MCF-7 cell line through ROS generation and dose-dependent drop in mitochondrial membrane potential associated with cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Our results further demonstrated that down-regulation of Bcl2 and activation of the caspase cascade are the events involved in the MA-induced apoptosis. Flow cytometry results indicated an increase in early and late apoptotic population in a dose-dependent manner with an apoptotic population of about 20% at 30 µM of MA, thus, supporting our results. CONCLUSION: Present findings suggest that MA might serve as a promising novel drug candidate with high scope for taking it to further evaluation in preclinical and clinical studies.

Curcuminoid-Tailored Interfacial Free Energy of Hydrophobic Fibers for Enhanced Biological Properties.

The ability of mimicking the extracellular matrix architecture has gained electrospun scaffolds a prominent space into the tissue engineering field. The high surface-to-volume aspect ratio of nanofibers increases their bioactivity while enhancing the bonding strength with the host tissue. Over the years, numerous polyesters, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), have been consolidated as excellent matrices for biomedical applications. However, this class of polymers usually has a high hydrophobic character, which limits cell attachment and proliferation, and therefore decreases biological interactions. In this way, functionalization of polyester-based materials is often performed in order to modify their interfacial free energy and achieve more hydrophilic surfaces. Herein, we report the preparation, characterization, and in vitro assessment of electrospun PLA fibers with low contents (0.1 wt %) of different curcuminoids featuring π-conjugated systems, and a central ß-diketone unit, including curcumin itself. We evaluated the potential of these materials for photochemical and biomedical purposes. For this, we investigated their optical properties, water contact angle, and surface features while assessing their in vitro behavior using SH-SY5Y cells. Our results demonstrate the successful generation of homogeneous and defect-free fluorescent fibers, which are noncytotoxic, exhibit enhanced hydrophilicity, and as such greater cell adhesion and proliferation toward neuroblastoma cells. The unexpected tailoring of the scaffolds' interfacial free energy has been associated with the strong interactions between the PLA hydrophobic sites and the nonpolar groups from curcuminoids, which indicate its role for releasing hydrophilic sites from both parts. This investigation reveals a straightforward approach to produce photoluminescent 3D-scaffolds with enhanced biological properties by using a polymer that is essentially hydrophobic combined with the low contents of photoactive and multifunctional curcuminoids.

Next­generation sequencing analysis reveals that MTH­3, a novel curcuminoid derivative, suppresses the invasion of MDA­MB­231 triple­negative breast adenocarcinoma cells.

Triple­negative breast cancer (TNBC) behaves aggressively in the invasive and metastatic states. Our research group recently developed a novel curcumin derivative, (1E,3Z,6E)-3-hydroxy-5-oxohepta-1,3,6-triene-1,7-diyl)bis(2­methoxy-4,1­phenylene)bis(3-hydroxy2-hydroxymethyl)-2­methyl propanoate (MTH­3), and previous studies showed that MTH­3 inhibits TNBC proliferation and induces apoptosis in vitro and in vivo with a superior bioavailability and absorption than curcumin. In the present study, the effects of MTH­3 on TNBC cell invasion were examined using various assays and gelatin zymography, and western blot analysis. Treatment with MTH­3 inhibited MDA­MB­231 cell invasion and migration, as shown by Transwell assay, 3D spheroid invasion assay, and wound healing assay. The results of the gelatin zymography experiments revealed that MTH­3 decreased matrix metalloproteinase­9 activity. The potential signaling pathways were revealed by next­generation sequencing analysis, antibody microarray analysis and western blot analysis. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that, MTH­3 inhibited tumor cell invasion through the MAPK/ERK/AKT signaling pathway and cell cycle regulatory cascade, providing significant information about the potential molecular mechanisms of the effects of MTH­3 on TNBC.

Pyrazol(in)e derivatives of curcumin analogs as a new class of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents.

Aim: We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a small library of 15 functionalized 3-styryl-2-pyrazolines and pyrazoles, derived from curcuminoids, as trypanosomicidal agents. Methods & results: The compounds were prepared via a cyclization reaction between the corresponding curcuminoids and the appropriate hydrazines. All of the derivatives synthesized were investigated for their trypanosomicidal activities. Compounds 4a and 4e showed significant activity against epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, with IC50 values of 5.0 and 4.2 µM, respectively, accompanied by no toxicity to noncancerous mammalian cells. Compound 6b was found to effectively inhibit T. cruzi triosephosphate isomerase. Conclusion: The up to 16-fold higher potency of these derivatives compared with their curcuminoid precursors makes them a promising new family of T. cruzi inhibitors.

A supramolecular complex of hydrazide-pillar[5]arene and bisdemethoxycurcumin with potential anti-cancer activity.

Pillar[5]arene complexes of the naturally occurring compound bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) were acquired for improving the water solubility and stability of BDMC. As a family member of curcuminoid compounds, BDMC has many interesting therapeutic properties. However, its low aqueous solubility and stability resulted in poor availability and restricted the clinical efficacy. Pillar[5]arenes with hydrophilic ends and a hydrophobic cavity could include with BDMC based on size matching. The synthesized hydrazide-pillar[5]arene (HP5A) and BDMC had a strong host-guest interaction with a 1:1 binding stoichiometry. Furthermore, the HP5A âŠƒ BDMC complex could self-assemble into well-defined fibers in water/ethanol solution. This supramolecular complex worked well in vitro for inhibiting the proliferation of hepatoma carcinoma cells HepG2. Remarkably, this method of complexation with pillar[5]arenes visibly reduced the undesirable side effects on normal cells without weakening the anti-cancer activity of the drugs. We expected that the obtained host-guest complex and fibrous assembly would provide a promising platform for delivering drugs with low water solubility.

Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Effects of Curcumin Analogue (2E,6E)-2,6-Bis(2,3-Dimethoxybenzylidine) Cyclohexanone (DMCH) on Human Colon Cancer Cells HT29 and SW620 In Vitro.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer death. According to the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016, colorectal cancer was the second most common cancer in Malaysia after breast cancer. Recent treatments for colon cancer cases have caused side effects and recurrence in patients. One of the alternative ways to fight cancer is by using natural products. Curcumin is a compound of the rhizomes of Curcuma longa that possesses a broad range of pharmacological activities. Curcumin has been studied for decades but due to its low bioavailability, its usage as a therapeutic agent has been compromised. This has led to the development of a chemically synthesized curcuminoid analogue, (2E,6E)-2,6-bis(2,3-dimethoxybenzylidine) cyclohexanone (DMCH), to overcome the drawbacks. This study aims to examine the potential of DMCH for cytotoxicity, apoptosis induction, and activation of apoptosis-related proteins on the colon cancer cell lines HT29 and SW620. The cytotoxic activity of DMCH was evaluated using the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) cell viability assay on both of the cell lines, HT29 and SW620. To determine the mode of cell death, an acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) assay was conducted, followed by Annexin V/FITC, cell cycle analysis, and JC-1 assay using a flow cytometer. A proteome profiler angiogenesis assay was conducted to determine the protein expression. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DMCH in SW620 and HT29 was 7.50 ± 1.19 and 9.80 ± 0.55 µg/mL, respectively. The treated cells displayed morphological features characteristic of apoptosis. The flow cytometry analysis confirmed that DMCH induced apoptosis as shown by an increase in the sub-G0/G1 population and an increase in the early apoptosis and late apoptosis populations compared with untreated cells. A higher number of apoptotic cells were observed on treated SW620 cells as compared to HT29 cells. Human apoptosis proteome profiler analysis revealed upregulation of Bax and Bad proteins and downregulation of Livin proteins in both the HT29 and SW620 cell lines. Collectively, DMCH induced cell death via apoptosis, and the effect was more pronounced on SW620 metastatic colon cancer cells, suggesting its potential effects as an antimetastatic agent targeting colon cancer cells.

Dimethoxycurcumin reduces proliferation and induces apoptosis in renal tumor cells more efficiently than demethoxycurcumin and curcumin.

Curcumin (Cur), is a pigment with antiproliferative activity but has some pharmacokinetic limitations, which led researchers to look for more effective structure analogs. This work investigated the effects of Cur and compared them with the two analogs, demethoxycurcumin (DeMC) and dimethoxycurcumin (DiMC), to elucidate their mechanisms of action. The cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and genotoxic effects these compounds were correlated based on gene expression analysis in the human renal adenocarcinoma cells (786-O). Cur decreased CYP2D6 expression and exhibited cytotoxic effects, such as inducing monopolar spindle formation and mitotic arrest mediated by the increase in CDKN1A (p21) mRNA. This dysregulation induced cell death through a caspase-independent pathway but was mediated by decrease in MTOR and BCL2 mRNA expression, suggesting that apoptosis occurred by autophagy. DeMC and DiMC had similar effects in that they induced monopolar spindle and mitotic arrest, were genotoxic, and activated GADD45A, an important molecule in repair mechanisms, and CDKN1A. However, the induction of apoptosis by DeMC was delayed and regulated by the decrease of antiapoptotic mRNA BCL.XL and subsequent activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3/7. DiMC treatment increased the expression of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 and exhibited higher cytotoxicity compared with other compounds. It induced apoptosis by increasing mRNA expression of BBC3, MYC, and CASP7 and activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3/7. These data revealed that different gene regulation processes are involved in cell death induced by Cur, DeMC, and DiMC. All three can be considered as promising chemotherapy candidates, with DiMC showing the greatest potency.

Anti-inflammatory activity of naturally occuring diarylheptanoids - A review.

Inflammation involving the innate and adaptive immune systems is a normal response to infection. However, if it becomes uncontrolled, inflammation may result in autoimmune or auto inflammatory disorders, neurodegenerative diseases or cancers. The currently available anti-inflammatory drug therapy is often not successful or induces severe side effects. Thus, the search of new therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammation is highly required. Medicinal plants have been an interesting source for obtaining new active compounds. Diarylheptanoids characterized by a 1, 7-diphenylheptane structural skeleton, are a class of secondary plant metabolites that have gained increasing interest over the last few decades due to a wide variety of biological activities. This review covers 182 natural linear or macrocyclic diarylheptanoids described in the period of 1982 to 2020 with anti-inflammatory activities evaluated using quantified in vitro and/or in vivo assays. All of these data highlight the pharmacological potential of these natural compounds to act as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Self-assembled Camptothecin derivatives - Curcuminoids conjugate for combinatorial chemo-photodynamic therapy to enhance anti-tumor efficacy.

Camptothecin (CPT), an alkaloid, was first discovered from plants and has potent anti-tumor activity. Since then, CPT analogs (namely Irinotecan and Topotecan) have been approved by the FDA for cancer treatments. Curcumin, on the other hand, is a widely used photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment. In our previous work, we have reported a straightforward strategy to construct a drug self-delivery system in which two-molecular species Irinotecan and Curcumin can self-assembly into a complex of ion pairs, namely ICN, through intermolecular non-covalent interactions. We found that ICN has slightly better chemotherapy efficacy than its individual components with much fewer side effects. In this paper, we aim to combine the chemotherapy and the PDT of ICN to further improve its anti-tumor performance. The efficient cellular uptake of ICNs was observed by confocal microscopy. Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay was used to detect the generation of singlet oxygen species. We found that the cell viability was 9% with both chemotherapy and PDT, and 31% with chemotherapy alone for the case with an ICN concentration of 10 µM, which demonstrated that the anti-tumor efficacy against the HT-29 cancer cell line was enhanced substantially with the combination therapy strategy. The study with an in vivo mouse model has further verified that the chemo-PDT dual therapy can inhibit tumor growth by 84% and 18.8% comparing with the control group and the chemotherapy group, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the new strategy using self-assembly and carrier-free nanoparticles with their chemo-PDT dual therapy may provide new opportunities to develop future combinatorial therapy methods in treating cancer.