EFLDO induces apoptosis in hepatic cancer cells by caspase activation in vitro and suppresses tumor growth in vivo.

To study the apoptosis induced by EFLDO (ent-3α-formylabieta-8(14), 13(15)-dien-16,12ß-olide), extracted from the Euphorbia lunulata Bge, in the HepG2 cell line and to study the antitumor activity of this compound in vivo, Cell viability and migration were evaluated with CCK-8 (2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3- (4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt) and wound healing assays, respectively. In addition, the cell cycle was examined using flow cytometry after propidium iodide (PI) staining. Apoptosis was analyzed by using the Annexin V/PI staining assay. Pro-caspase activation and apoptosis protein expression were evaluated by western blotting. A HepG2 xenograft model in nude mice was also established to study the antitumor activity of EFLDO in vivo. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect the expression of Ki67 in the tumors in situ. EFLDO could induce dose- and time-dependent apoptosis in HepG2 human hepatic cancer cells. Activation of caspases 3, 8, and 9 played an important role in EFLDO-induced apoptosis in vitro. Decreased levels of Bcl-2 and Survivin and increased level of BAX were also involved in this process. Furthermore, EFLDO could inhibit HepG2 tumor growth in nude mice, and the proliferation characteristics, reflected by the Ki67 index, were suppressed significantly. The results indicated that EFLDO could induce apoptosis in hepatic cancer cells by caspase activation in vitro and suppress tumor growth in vivo.

A trehalose ester from Lancea tibetica.

A phytochemical study of the 95% ethanolic extract of the whole plant of Lancea tibetica Hook. f. et Thoms. led to the isolation of a new trehalose ester, 6-O-undecanoyl-α,ß-trehalose (1), along with 23 known compounds (2-24), of which compounds 2-17 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 was evaluated for their in vitro anti-proliferative activities against MCF-7, NCI-H460 and Hep-G2 tumour cell lines. Compound 1 exhibited potent inhibitory activity against NCI-H460 cell growth, in contrast to moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and Hep-G2 cells.

Two new diterpene derivatives from Euphorbia lunulata Bge and their anti-proliferative activities.

A new ent-abietane-type diterpene lactone (1) and a new jatrophane-type diterpenoid (2), together with twelve known compounds including three diterpenes (3-5), five triterpenes (6-10) and four sterides (11-14) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the whole plant of Euphorbia lunulata Bge. The structure of compounds 1 and 2 was elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra and the HR-ESI-MS data. The structure of compound 2 was further analyzed by an X-ray crystallographic study. The in vitro anti-proliferative activities against MCF-7 and NCI-H460 cell lines for compounds 1-5 (diterpene) were evaluated. The results showed marked activity for compound 1 against the two cell lines with the IC50 values 19.5 (NCI-H460) and 18.6 (MCF-7) µM, while for cis-platinum (a positive cytotoxic control agent) 29.7 (NCI-H460) and 27.7 (MCF-7) µM. Compounds 2-5 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities for the two cell lines with the IC50 values ranging from 32.1 to 58.2 µM.

Triterpenoids of Euphorbia kansuensis Proch.

Phytochemical investigation of the ethanol extract of Euphorbia kansuensis Proch. led to the isolation of three new triterpenoids, along with ten known compounds. Their structures were established by extensive 1D and 2D NMR, as well as other spectrum analysis. Biological activities of the three new compounds against Hela cell, Hep-G2 cell, C. albicans ATCC10231 cell and SC5314 cell were evaluated. They showed strong anti-tumor and moderate anti-inflammatory activities with MIC values ranging from 13 to 25 µg/ml and from 30 to 128 µg/ml.