Lebanese Plants and Plant-Derived Compounds Against Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health concern and demands long-term efforts in developing strategies for screening and prevention. CRC has become a preventable disease as a consequence of a better understanding of colorectal carcinogenesis. However, current therapy is unsatisfactory and necessitates the exploration of other approaches for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Plant based products have been recognized as preventive with regard to the development of colon cancer. Therefore, the potential chemopreventive use and mechanism of action of Lebanese natural product were evaluated. Towards this aim the antitumor activity of Onopordum cynarocephalum and Centaurea ainetensis has been studied using in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro, both crude extracts were non cytotoxic to normal intestinal cells and inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, both crude extracts reduced the number of tumors by an average of 65% at weeks 20 (adenomas stage) and 30 (adenocarcinomas stage). The activity of the C. ainetensis extract was attributed to Salograviolide A, a guaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactone, which was isolated and identified through bio-guided fractionation. The mechanism of action of thymoquinone (TQ), the active component of Nigella sativa, was established in colon cancer cells using in vitro models. By the use of N-acetyl cysteine, a radical scavenger, the direct involvement of reactive oxygen species in TQ-induced apoptotic cells was established. The analytical detection of TQ from spiked serum and its protein binding were evaluated. The average recovery of TQ from spiked serum subjected to several extraction procedures was 2.5% proving the inability of conventional methods to analyze TQ from serum. This has been explained by the extensive binding (>98%) of TQ to serum and major serum components such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Using mass spectrometry analysis, TQ was confirmed to bind covalently to the free cysteine in position 34 and 147 of the amino acid sequence of BSA and AGP, respectively. The results of this work put at the disposal for future development new plants with anti-cancer activities and enhance the understanding of the pharmaceutical properties of TQ, a prerequisite for its future clinical development.

A new sesquiterpene lactone of Notoseris henryi

A new guaianolide, notoserolide E, along with nine known compounds was isolated from the Chinese endemic plant of Notoseris henryi ( Dunn) Shih and its structure was elucidated by means of spectroscopic evidence.

Detailed H-1 and C-13 NMR structural assignment and relative stereochemistry determination for three new and one known semi-synthetic sesquiterpene lactones

In this work is described a complete H-1 and C-13 NMR analysis for a group of four sesquiterpene lactones, three previously unknown. The unequivocal assignments were achieved by H-1 NMR, C-13{H-1} NMR, gCOSY. gHMQC, gHMBC and NOESY experiments and no ambiguities were left behind. All hydrogen coupling constants were measured, clarifying all hydrogen signals multiplicities. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Sesquiterpene Lactone Dehydroleucodine Triggers Senescence and Apoptosis in Association with Accumulation of DNA Damage Markers

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are plant-derived compounds that display anti-cancer effects. Some SLs derivatives have a marked killing effect on cancer cells and have therefore reached clinical trials. Little is known regarding the mechanism of action of SLs. We studied the responses of human cancer cells exposed to various concentrations of dehydroleucodine (DhL), a SL of the guaianolide group isolated and purified from Artemisia douglasiana (Besser), a medicinal herb that is commonly used in Argentina. We demonstrate for the first time that treatment of cancer cells with DhL, promotes the accumulation of DNA damage markers such as phosphorylation of ATM and focal organization of γH2AX and 53BP1. This accumulation triggers cell senescence or apoptosis depending on the concentration of the DhL delivered to cells. Transient DhL treatment also induces marked accumulation of senescent cells. Our findings help elucidate the mechanism whereby DhL triggers cell cycle arrest and cell death and provide a basis for further exploration of the effects of DhL in in vivo cancer treatment models.