Abstract
Radiotherapy using ionizing radiation is a major therapeutic modality for advanced human lung cancers. However, ionizing radiation itself can induce malignant behaviors such as cancer cell migration and invasion, leading to local recurrence or distal metastasis. Therefore, safer and more effective agents that inhibit the metastatic behaviors of cancer cells in radiotherapy are needed. As a part of our ongoing search for new radiotherapy enhancers from medicinal herbs, we isolated the following triterpenoids from the ethanol extract of Centella asiatica: asiatic acid (1), madecassic acid (2), and asiaticoside (3). These compounds inhibited the ionizing radiation-induced migration and invasion of A549 human lung cancer cells at noncytotoxic concentrations. These results suggest that triterpenoids 1–3 isolated from C. asiatica are candidate natural compounds to enhance the effect of radiotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
Highlights
Centella asiatica, commonly known as Indian Pennywort, is an ethnomedical plant that is widely used in India for treating skin problems and for revitalizing the brain and nervous system [1]
Studies on the chemical constituents of C. asiatica showed the presence of pentacyclic triterpenoids known as centelloids. ese compounds are composed of terpene acids along with glycosides, including asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, madecassoside, brahmic acid, brahmoside, brahminoside, thankiniside, isothankunisode, madasiatic acid, centic acid, centelloside, and cenellic acid [4, 5]
ionizing radiation (IR) induces radioresistance, which contributes to the poor prognosis of patients with cancer, and it is the main reason for radiotherapy failure [28]. ese effects can lead to tumor recurrence and metastases. erefore, it is necessary to develop an effective and safe radiotherapy enhancer that can inhibit the induction of malignant behavior
Summary
Centella asiatica (family Apiaceae), commonly known as Indian Pennywort, is an ethnomedical plant that is widely used in India for treating skin problems and for revitalizing the brain and nervous system [1]. It has been reported to have various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, skin protective, radioprotective, immunomodulatory, memoryenhancing, and wound-healing properties [2, 3]. Several studies have shown the anticancer effects of extracts and constituents from C. asiatica [6,7,8, 29], there has been no investigation on the inhibitory effects of C. asiatica components on IR-induced migration and invasion of cancer cells. Erefore, as a part of our ongoing search for new radiotherapy enhancers from medicinal herbs, we isolated three triterpenoids from the ethanol extract of C. asiatica and evaluated their inhibitory activities on the IR-induced migration and invasion of A549 human lung cancer cells Several studies have shown the anticancer effects of extracts and constituents from C. asiatica [6,7,8, 29], there has been no investigation on the inhibitory effects of C. asiatica components on IR-induced migration and invasion of cancer cells. erefore, as a part of our ongoing search for new radiotherapy enhancers from medicinal herbs, we isolated three triterpenoids from the ethanol extract of C. asiatica and evaluated their inhibitory activities on the IR-induced migration and invasion of A549 human lung cancer cells
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