Carcinoma HepG2 Research Articles

Synthesis of New Chromen-5-one Derivatives from Dimedone and their Antiproliferative Evaluations against Selected Cancer Cell Lines Together with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cervical Carcinoma

<p>Background: The coumarin nuclei, which exist in many heterocyclic compounds, has gained a lot of attention over the past decade due to their wide range of biological activities such as antibacterial, anticoagulant, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. </p> <p> Objective: The multi-component reactions of 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione with acetophenone derivatives and triethoxymethane produced biologically active target chromene molecules and their fused derivatives. </p> <p> Methods: The reaction of 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione and each of triethoxymethane and acetophenone derivatives 3a-g in absolute ethanol containing triethylamine gave the 4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5H-chromen-5-one derivatives 4a-g. Compounds 4a-d were used for further heterocyclization reactions to produce biologically active fused pyrazole, thiophene, and thiazole derivative corporate with the chromenes caffold. </p> <p> Results: The cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds were evaluated using six cancer cell lines together with c-Met kinase and PC-3 cell line inhibitions. In addition, cytotoxicity toward hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and cervical carcinoma HeLa was carried out as well as the in-vitro cytotoxic potential for all compounds against peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) extracted from healthy donors. Morphological changes of the A549 cell line by the two most active compounds were also studied. </p> <p> Conclusion: The synthesized heterocyclic compounds were originally obtained from 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane1,3-dione. Several of the produced compounds exhibited high inhibitions toward several cancer cell lines proving high inhibitions, therefore, encouraging further studies to synthesize heterocyclic compounds based on chromene scaffold.</p>

Aspergillus fumigatus-induced biogenic silver nanoparticles' efficacy as antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents with potential anticancer activity: An in vitro investigation

A worldwide hazard to human health is posed by the growth of pathogenic bacteria that have contaminated fresh, processed, cereal, and seed products in storage facilities. As the number of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogenic microorganisms rises, we must find safe, and effective antimicrobials. The use of green synthesis of nanoparticles to combat microbial pathogens has gained a rising interest. The current study showed that Aspergillus fumigatus was applied as a promising biomass for the green synthesis of biogenic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The UV–visible spectra of biosynthesized Ag NPs appeared characteristic surface plasmon absorption at 475 nm, round-shaped with sizes ranging from 17.11 to 75.54 nm and an average size of 50.37 ± 2.3 nm. In vitro tests were conducted to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer effects of various treatment procedures for Ag NP applications. The synthesized Ag NPs was revealed antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus flauvas, A. niger, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerugonosa, and Staphylococcus aureus under optimum conditions. The tested bacteria were sensitive to low Ag NPs concentrations (5, 10, 11, 8, 7, 10, and 7 mg/mL) which was observed for the mentioned-before tested microorganisms, respectively. The tested bacterial pathogens experienced their biofilm formation effectively suppressed by Ag NPs at sub-inhibitory doses. Antibacterial reaction mechanism of Ag NPs were tested using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to verify their antibacterial efficacy towards S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. These findings clearly show how harmful Ag NPs are to pathogenic bacteria. The synthesized Ag NPs showed antitumor activity with IC50 at 5 μg/mL against human HepG-2 and MCF-7 cellular carcinoma cells, while 50 mg/mL was required to induce 70 % of normal Vero cell mortality. These findings imply that green synthetic Ag NPs can be used on cancer cell lines in vitro for anticancer effect beside their potential as a lethal factor against some tested pathogenic microbes.

Targeting ONECUT2 inhibits tumor angiogenesis via down-regulating ZKSCAN3/VEGFA

OC-2 plays a vital role in tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis, but molecular mechanism how OC-2 regulates angiogenic factors is unclear. We found that OC-2 was highly expressed in HepG2, COLO, MCF-7, SKOV3 cells and rectum carcinoma tissues, and angiogenic factors levels were positively related to OC-2. Then OC-2 KD inhibited the tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis process in vitro and vivo. ChIP-Seq showed that 228 target genes of OC-2 were identified and they were associated with tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis and signal transduction; OC-2 bound to ZKSCAN3 at promoter region. Luciferase assays showed that ZKSCAN3 was identified as target gene of OC-2 and VEGFA was identified as target gene of ZKSCAN3; OC-2 promoted VEGFA expression via activating ZKSCAN3 transcriptional program. Importantly, OC-2 KD down-regulated VEGFA secretion to suppress tumor angiogenesis of HUVECs. Besides VEGFA, OC-2 was positively correlated with other angiogenic factors HIF-1α, FGF2, EGFL6 and HGF. Meanwhile, ERK1/2 and Smad1 signaling pathways might be related to function of OC-2 driving tumor aggressiveness. We revealed that OC-2 might regulate tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis via ERK1/2, Smad1 signaling pathways and regulate VEGFA expression for tumor angiogenesis via activating ZKSCAN3 transcriptional program, indicating that OC-2 was a convincing target to develop novel anti-tumor drugs based on angiogenesis.

Isolation and structure determination of a new bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid with cytotoxicity from Penicillium oxalicum MZY-202312-521

Endophytic fungi can produce attractive secondary metabolites with various biological activities that have contributed significantly to pharmacotherapy. In this study, three bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, including a new one, namely, inonotic acid C (1), together with previously reported compounds (S)-(+)-11-dehydrosydonic acid (2) and sydonic acid (3), were isolated from a marine algal-derived endophytic fungus Penicillium oxalicum MZY-202312-521. Their structures were determined by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of inonotic acid C (1) were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. In vitro cytotoxic experiments on human A549, MCF-7, HeLa, and HepG2 carcinoma cell lines were carried out. The new compound inonotic acid C (1) was found to possess strong inhibitory activity against the MCF-7 cell line, with an IC50 value of 7.7 μM.

Galloyl-oligochitosan nano-vehicles for effective and controlled propolis delivery targeting upgrading its antioxidant and antiproliferative potential

A new conjugate, galloyl-oligochitosan nanoparticles (GOCNPs), was fabricated and used as nano-vehicle for effective and controlled delivery of propolis extract (PE) in the form of PE#GOCNPs, targeting improving its pharmaceutical potential. H-bonding interactions between the carboxyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups of the GOCNPs and PE resulted in successful encapsulation, with an entrapment efficacy of 97.3 %. The PE#GOCNPs formulation also exhibited excellent physicochemical stability and time-triggered drug release characteristics under physiological conditions. Furthermore, PE#GOCNPs showed significant activity against MCF-7 and HEPG2 carcinoma cells by scavenging free oxygen radicals and upregulating antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, PE#GOCNPs displayed anti-inflammatory properties by increasing IL10 and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines more effectively than celecoxib. Furthermore, PE#GOCNPs reduced the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and survivin genes. Furthermore, the encapsulated PE demonstrated significant activity in suppressing sonic hedgehog protein (SHH). The use of GOCNPs in combination with propolis presents a promising new strategy for chemotherapy with reduced toxicity and enhanced biocompatibility. This novel approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of chemotherapy. Future studies should focus on the application of the encapsulated PE in various cancer cell lines, distinct gene expression factors, and cell cycles.

Caffeoylquinic acid esters, lignans and flavones from Yua thomsonii with cytotoxic and nitric oxide inhibitory activities

Phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Yua thomsonii resulted in the isolation of 11 secondary metabolites, including a new caffeoyl quinic acid derivative, 3-O-trans-caffeoyl-4-O-acetylquinic acid methyl ester (1), a new dihydrobenzofuran neolignan, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-(1″,3″-dihydroxy-2″-propyloxyl)-4′,7-epoxy-8,5′-neolignan-4,9,9′-triol (3) and nine known compounds, methyl 4-O-coumaroylquinate (2), (7S*,8S*)-3-methoxy-3′,7-epoxy-8,4′-oxyneolignan-4,9,9′-triol (4), kompasinol A (5), lyoniresinol (6), schizandriside (7), (−)-isolariciresinol 3a-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (8), lyoniside (9), vitexin (10) and luteolin 4′-O-β-glucopyranoside (11). Their structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESI mass spectra. The absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were deduced by electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 3, 5 and 6 exhibited nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory effects, with IC50 values ranging from 12.18 to 29.45 µM. However, compounds 1, 3, 6 and 8 were non-cytotoxic towards HepG2 and MCF-7 carcinoma cells.

Fabrication, physicochemical characterization and theoretical studies of some new mixed ligands complexes based on N-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-guanidine and 1, 10-phenanthroline: DNA interaction, biological applications and molecular docking approach

The fabrication and structural identification of mixed ligand chelates resulting from 1-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) guanidine (BIG = main ligand) and 1,10-Phenanthroline (phen) (secondary ligand). The tested compounds were investigated using TGA, CHN, spectra analysis (FT-IR, Mass spectra, NMR), melting point, magnetic moments, molar conductance, Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy as well computational studies. The conductance results showed that the tested Pd(II), VO(II) and Ag(I) chelates have electrolytes in fresh solutions of DMSO lies in the range 38.12–118.87 Ω−1 cm2 mol−1 except, Cu(II) chelate is a non-electrolyte it is value equal 15.16 Ω−1 cm2 mol−1. FT-IR spectrum displays that the tested main ligand is coordinated with metal ions in a bi-dentate behavior with N, N donor sites of the HN=C and C=N. While the second ligand coordinated with metal ions through its N2 atom in the pyridine ring. Moreover, the obtained analytical data regarding complexation in solution, molar ratio and continuous variation methods suggest 1M: 1 L molar ratio. Also the stability constant of tested complexes was identified in solution state and the formation constants (Kf) were evaluated by applying continuous-variation method. Stability of complexes was arranged by BIGPAg > BIGPVO > BIGPCu > BIGPPPd in agreement with Kf values. The pH profile revealed that the wide range of pH stability of the tested complexes is at pH = 4- 10 in most of them. Magnetic and electronic spectra are applied to deduce the coordinating ability of the tested ligands and the geometric structure of the studied chelates. That data of magnetic susceptibility for ternary mixed chelates are locked to an octahedral geometry for Cu(II) & VO(II) chelates due to the data of (μeff = 1.8 and 1.83 B.M) respectively and Pd(II) and Ag(I) chelates are diamagnetic with square planar and tetrahedral geometry, respectively. The TGA study of these studied complexes displays that the hydrated H2O, acetate, nitrate, and acetylacetonate anions are removed in the first (45°C-180°C) and second degradation steps followed directly by degradation of the studied ligands in the following stages. The thermodynamic factors, like ΔS*, ΔH*, E*, A and ΔG* are evaluated from the TGA curves and explained. The DFT/B3LYP computation method was applied for the estimation of the MEP, (HUMO & LUMO) energy for the studied compounds. In-silico assay was executed by two different approaches over compounds to evaluate their biological behavior and degree of interaction with biological systems, before practical application. BIGPPd complex displayed priority in interaction with various protein. In-vitro assay was then carried out for compounds against different microbes and BIGPPd showed high antimicrobial activity with inhibition zones are established to be 45.75 ± 0.10 and 41.95 ± 0.05 mm against B. Cereus and G. Candidum at 25 µg/mL. Also, their cytotoxic behavior was examined against MCF-7, HepG2 and HCT-116 carcinoma cell lines, high cytotoxicity was clearly recorded with BIGPPd complex with IC50% are established to be (5, 6.25 and 7.14 µg/mL) respectively. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was examined, and the complexes exhibited high reactivity with trapping free radicals. The BIGPPd exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 20.15 μg/ml. The interaction of metal chelates with DNA was detected by gel electrophoreses, viscosity and spectral studies. Spectrophotometric titration and viscosity studies expose that each of tested complex is an avid binder to DNA. The intrinsic binding constants were calculated for all the tested compounds could bind to Ct-DNA generally through replacement, intercalative mode & minor groove binding of interactions with the sequence: BIGPVO (6.05×104) > BIGPCu > BIGPPd> BIGPAg >BIG (1.16×103). This may be due to enhanced hydrophobic & electrostatic interaction of aromatic rings. Finally, such complexes may be considered as a promising bioactive agent.

Pharmaceutical Properties and Phytochemical Profile of Extract Derived from Purple Leaf Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.

Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff is a medicinal shrub belonging to the Acanthaceae family and is traditionally used to treat various diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the pharmaceutical properties and phytochemical profiles of the methanolic extract of G. pictum. G. pictum leaves was extracted using methanol. Antioxidant, cytotoxic on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and HepG2, antidiabetic, and antibacterial properties were evaluated in vitro. Chemical profile of the extract was identified through qualitative (for phytochemicals), quantitative (for phenolic and flavonoid content), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The results showed that the extract had potent antioxidant activity against 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with IC50 values of 49.00 ± 3.20 µg/mL and 70.18 ± 3.27 µg/mL, respectively. It also exhibited cytotoxic effects on human breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) carcinoma cells with growth inhibition percentages of 74.29 ± 1.53% and 64.90 ± 1.94%, respectively. The antidiabetic assay showed that the extract had inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase activity with IC50 value 194.59 ± 15.59 µg/mL, indicating its potential to be developed as an antidiabetic agent. Furthermore, it had antibacterial properties against four test strains, and the highest activity was found against Bacillus subtilis American Type Culture Collection 19659, with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 625 µg/mL and 1250 µg/mL, respectively. Phytochemical tests indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid and terpenoids in the extract, with total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of 41.17 ± 2.38 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and 26.52 ± 0.61 mg quercetin equivalent/g, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed that it contained several active compounds, including eicosane, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, hentriacontane, tetracosane, octacosane, sulfurous acid, 2-methylhexacosane, docosane, heneicosane, 1-propene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, tributyl ester, and pentacosane. The extract derived from G. pictum leaves was a potential source of therapeutic compounds, particularly for antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antibacterial agents.

Anticancer potency of Egyptian venom snakes on MCF-7 and HepG2 carcinoma cells.

Breast and hepatic cancers are the leading incidences in the globe occurring of the human sufferings from various cancers. Snake venoms have been reported to provide effective therapeutic agents. The current study investigates the anticancer potency of Egyptian venoms snakes on two cells: breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and hepato-cancer cells (HepG2) (In vitro assay). The examined venoms were more potent on MCF-7 than HepG2 cells. Their inhibition % on MCF-7 ranged from 71.47 to 99.02% with medium inhibition concentrations (IC50s): 3.48, 3.60, 3.70, 4.33, and 4.49 μg/ml for venoms: Echis pyramid (E.H), Cerastes vipera (C.V), Naja haje (N.H), Echis coloratus (E.C), and Cerastes cerastes (C.C), respectively. The values of IC50s on HepG2 were 4.32, 17.77, 59.72, 63.75, and 217.90 μg/ml for toxins: E.C, E.P, C.V, C.C, and N.H, respectively. Some biomarkers were conducted to investigate the apoptotic effects of toxins into the cells. Increasing profiles of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and levels of glutathione content (GSH) and malodialdhyde (MDA) as well as repairment of DNA indicated such these actions. So, more reliable investigations on these venoms were needed to provide intelligent therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.

Design, synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluations of novel chalcone based 4-Nitroacetophenone derivatives as potent anticancer agents targeting EGFR-TKD

A series of chalcone-based 4-Nitroacetophenone derivatives were designed and synthesized by the single-step condensation method. These compounds were identified by 1H NMR,13C NMR, MS, and FTIR analysis. Further, the derivatives were evaluated against four cancer cell lines H1299, MCF-7, HepG2, and K526. The IC50 value of potent compounds NCH-2, NCH-4, NCH-5, NCH-6, NCH-8, and NCH-10 was 4.5–11.4 μM in H1299, 4.3–15.7 μM in MCF-7, 2.7–4.1 μM in HepG2 and 4.9–19.7 μM in K562. To assess the toxicity against healthy cells all potent molecules were evaluated against the HEK-293T cell line, and IC50 values exhibited by NCH-2, and NCH-3 were 77.8, 74.3, and other molecules showed IC50 values > 100 μM. The EGFR expression was determined by using rabbit anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody and significant EGFR expression was knocked down observed in H1299 treated with NCH-10 as well as erlotinib. The underlying mechanism behind cell death was investigated through bioinformatics. First, the molecules were optimized and docked to the binding site of the EGFR kinase domain. The best complexes were simulated for 100-ns and compounds NCH-2, NCH-4, and NCH-10 achieved stability similar to the erlotinib bound kinase domain. The free energy binding (ΔG bind) of NCH-10 was found to be more negative −226.616 ± 2.148 kJ/mol calculated by Molecular Mechanics Poisson Boltzmann’s Surface Area (MM-PBSA) method. Both in vitro and in silico results conclude that the present class of chalcone-based 4-Nitroacetophenone derivatives are potent anti-cancer agents targeting EGFR-TKD and are 39 folds more effective against H1299, MCF-7, HepG2, and K562 carcinoma cell lines than healthy HEK-293T cell lines. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Pharmaceutical manifestation of Knoevenagel condensed metal (II) complexes through virtual, in vitro and in vivo assessments

Sulphur containing compounds possess a great deal of interest due to wide range of beneficial activities towards biotic species. This work also deals with the study of biological examination of newly synthesized sulphur containing Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes derived from (E)-4-(phenylimino)-3-((E)-1-(phenylimino)ethyl)pent-2-ene-1-thiol Schiff bases. Moreover, the DNA nuclease efficiency of the synthesized metal complexes is studied by UV absorption studies, Fluorescence studies, Viscosity and CV titrations which confirm the intercalative mode of binding. Pharmacokinetic studies and drug like activity of these compounds are screened with the help of SWISS ADME online freeware. Their morphological nature is corroborated by various spectral techniques. Optimized geometry and biologically accessible nature of the synthesized compounds are investigated by Gaussian 09 W software. Interestingly, molecular docking studies are carried out against cancer DNA and 6J10 cancer cell. Anti–inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities have been studied to validate the theoretical prediction. Based on these preliminary pharmacological activities, the in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activities are examined using MCF-7, HeLa, Hep-2, HepG-2 and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell lines. All the above examinations reveal that the nitro substituted transition metal complexes possess higher biological bustle. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

In Vitro Cytotoxicity Efficiency of Extracellular L-Glutaminase Produce by Mesophilic Bacteria, Kurthia Gibsonii on Lncap, MDA-MB 231 and Hepg-2 Cell Lines

Mesophilic bacteria from soil habitat have been reported to produce extracellular L-glutaminase. The present study was carried out to anticancer screening of L-glutamiase producing bacteria (Kurthia gibsonii) from soil sample of cattle feeding site from Satara parisar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Results showed, among three soil samples of cattle feeding farms, Kurthia gibsonii was isolated. From that exhibited the highest L-glutaminase activity. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxic activity of L-glutaminase against the (Lymph Node Carcinoma of the Prostate) LNCaP, (an epithelial, human breast cancer cell line) MDA-MB 231 and hepatocellular (HepG-2) carcinoma cell lines at different concentration (0.47, 0.94, 1.88, 3.75, 7.50, 15.00, 30.00 and 60.00 μg/ml) by the MTT assay and compared with the standard Doxrubcin. The antitumor effect against human liver carcinoma cell line revealed that L-glutaminase produced by Kurthia gibsonii showed potent cytotoxic activity of tested cell line in a dose-dependent manner with an LC50 value of 4.1 μg/ml.

Sorafenib tosylate-loaded nanosuspension: preparation, optimization, and in vitro cytotoxicity study against human HepG2 carcinoma cells

This study aimed to optimize nanosuspension of sorafenib tosylate (an anticancer hydrophobic drug molecule) using a central composite design. Nanosuspension was prepared using a nanoprecipitation-ultrasonication approach. FTIR and DSC analyses demonstrated that the drug and excipients were physicochemically compatible. X-ray powder diffraction analysis confirmed amorphous form of the payload in the formulation. The optimized formulation (batch NSS6) had a zeta potential of −18.1 mV, a polydispersity of 0.302, and a particle size of 97.11 nm. SEM analysis confirmed formation of rod-shaped particles. After 24 h, about 64.45% and 86.37% of the sorafenib tosylate was released in pH 6.8 and pH 1.2, respectively. The MTT assay was performed on HepG2 cell lines. IC50 value of the optimized batch was 39.4 µg/mL. The study concluded that sorafenib tosylate nanosuspension could be a promising approach in the treatment of hepatocellular cancer.

Near infrared-emitting multimodal nanosystem for in vitro magnetic hyperthermia of hepatocellular carcinoma and dual imaging of in vivo liver fibrosis

Prolonged usage of traditional nanomaterials in the biological field has posed several short- and long-term toxicity issues. Over the past few years, smart nanomaterials (SNs) with controlled physical, chemical, and biological features have been synthesized in an effort to allay these challenges. The current study seeks to develop theranostic SNs based on iron oxide to enable simultaneous magnetic hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for chronic liver damage like liver fibrosis which is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. To accomplish this, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were prepared, coated with a biocompatible and naturally occurring polysaccharide, alginate. The resultant material, ASPIONs were evaluated in terms of physicochemical, magnetic and biological properties. A hydrodynamic diameter of 40 nm and a transverse proton relaxation rate of 117.84 mM−1 s−1 pronounces the use of ASPIONs as an efficient MRI contrast agent. In the presence of alternating current of 300 A, ASPIONs could elevate the temperature to 45 °C or more, with the possibility of hyperthermia based therapeutic approach. Magnetic therapeutic and imaging potential of ASPIONs were further evaluated respectively in vitro and in vivo in HepG2 carcinoma cells and animal models of liver fibrosis, respectively. Finally, to introduce dual imaging capability along with magnetic properties, ASPIONs were conjugated with near infrared (NIR) dye Atto 700 and evaluated its optical imaging efficiency in animal model of liver fibrosis. Histological analysis further confirmed the liver targeting efficacy of the developed SNs for Magnetic theranostics and optical imaging as well as proved its short-term safety, in vivo.

New Approaches for the Synthesis N-alkylated Benzo[b]thiophene Derivatives together with their Antiproliferative and Molecular Docking Studies.

2-Amino thiophene derivatives are important compounds not only for their uses in many heterocyclic reactions but also due to their wide range of pharmaceutical and biological activities. The aim of this work was to explore a number of new heterocyclic derivatives, studying their inhibitions toward cancer cell lines and studying their structure activity relation ship. Alkylation of 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carbonitrile was achieved through its reaction with chloroacetone and 2-bromo-1-(4-aryl)ethanone derivatives to give compounds 3 and 11a-c. The produced compoumds were subjected to further heterocylization reactions and cytotoxic evaluation against the three cancer cell lines MCF-7, NCI-H460 and SF-268, together with the normal cell line WI 38. Further evaluations were obtained through studying their inhibitions against cancer cell lines classified according to the disease. Anticancer screening against hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and cervical carcinoma HeLa cell lines for all compounds together with the molecular docking of 12c, 12d, 12e and 12f were studied. Anti-proliferative evaluations and inhibitions for all of the synthesized compounds showed that many compounds exhibited high inhibitions. Toward the three cancer cell lines, compounds 3, 5a, 7a, 9a, 9b, 11b, 12b, 12d, 12e, 12f, 14c, 14e, 14f, 15e, 15f, 16e, 16f, 17c, 18b, 22a and 22c were the most cytotoxic compounds. The high activities of some compounds were attributed to the presence of the electronegative CN and or Cl groups within the molecule. Most of the tested compounds exhibited inhibitions higher than the reference doxorubicin toward hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and cervical carcinoma HeLa cell lines. The score of binding energy of compounds 12c, 12d, 12e and 12f was close to the reference Foretinib which appeared through the molecular docking results of such compounds.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Leaf Essential Oil as a Potential Anticancer Agent: Experimental and Computational Studies.

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, affected by several factors including oxidative stress; and although conventional synthetic medicines have been used to treat cancer, they often result in various side effects. Consequently, there is a growing need for newer, safer and more effective alternatives, such as natural plant products. Essential oils (EOs) are one such alternative, offering a wide range of bioactivities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Accordingly, the objective of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant and anticancer properties of the leaf essential oil of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (CLLEO) belonging to the Cupressaceae family. Totally, 59 constituents were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. cis-Abienol, trans-ferruginol, α-cadinol, δ-muurolene and α-pinene were the major components. The in vitro cytotoxicity study against human breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT-116), lung (A-549), hepatocellular (HepG-2) carcinoma cells using MTT assay indicated a promising cytotoxic activity against all the tested cancer cells, particularly HepG-2, with significant selectivity indices. CLLEO exhibited weak antioxidant activity according to the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. In silico docking of these constituents against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) and caspase-8 using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software demonstrated good binding affinities of the components with the active site of these targets. These findings suggested using CLLEO, or its individual components, as a potentially viable therapeutic option for managing cancerous conditions.

Cytotoxicity Effects of Zanthoxylum simulans Hance. Fruit Bark Extract

Zanthoxylum simulans Hance. is known in folklore as a spicy herb, commonly used to treat cold-induced diseases in the body. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of Zanthoxylum simulans fruit bark extract. Samples of Zanthoxylum simulans were extracted with 70% ethanol and subsequently fractionated with n-Hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol (n-BuOH) solvents. To evaluate the cytotoxic effect, we performed SRB (Sulforhodamine B) assay on the three cell lines human liver HepG2, lung SK-LU-1, and cervical carcinoma Hela. The results showed that the EtOH total extract had the strongest cytotoxicity effects on liver cancer cells with an IC50 of 63.68±3.97 mg/mL, but showed no toxicity to SK-LU-1 lung cancer or Hela cervical cancer cells. The results of cytotoxic effects on HepG2 liver cancer cells of these fractions showed that the n-Hexane and EtOAc fractions exhibited activity with IC50 values of 17.12±0.94 and 28.45±2.85 µg/mL, respectively, while the n-BuOH and H2O fractions showed no activity. Our results showed that Zanthoxylum simulans fruit bark extract has a strong cytotoxicity effect on liver cancer cells.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Anti-tumor Activities of the Aerial Parts of Cometes abyssinica R.Br. ex Wall

Abstract: An in vitro bioassay-guide revealed that the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Cometes abyssinica had considerable inhibitory activity against colon (HCT-116) and hepatocellular (HepG2) carcinoma cell lines with IC50 24.4 and 29.9 μg/mL, respectively, compared to the drug reference Cisplatin. On the other hand, all studied extracts exhibited weak antioxidant activities using the DPPH scavenging assay with IC50 values between 543-826.4 μg/mL. Phytochemical investigation of the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of C. abyssinica led to the isolation of five flavonoid compounds: Formononetin 1, Daidzein 2, Eriodictyol 3, Taxifolin 4, and kaempferitrin 5. The chemical structure of the isolated compounds was identified based on their physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses. Keywords: Cometes abyssinica, Aerial parts, Chemical constituents, Flavonoids, Antioxidant activity, Antitumor activity.

Design and synthesis of novel anti-cancer curcumin derivatives: Investigation of anti-cancer properties against HepG2 cell line

The new anti-cancer and water-soluble curcumin derivatives have been synthesized solvent-freely by functionalizing the phenolic group of curcumin with various NH compounds to increase water solubility and cancerous properties. The biological applications of the new drugs have been investigated against the highly potent HepG2 carcinoma cell line. The studies showed that new curcumin derivatives could be used in low concentrations (µM/l<1) to avoid the anti-apoptotic properties against the cancerous cell. Also, the designed molecules with concentrations below 1 µM/l showed a good percentage of viability of 31.5, 45.3, and 66.7% against HepG2<em> </em>cells. Furthermore, FTIR and 1H, and 13CNMR spectroscopy fully characterized the new curcumin derivatives.

Cytotoxic steroidal glycosides from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis

Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. (Melanthiaceae), an important specie of the genus Paris, has long been in a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a long time. This study aimed to isolate and identify the structures of bioactive saponins from the rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and evaluate their cytotoxicity against BxPC-3, HepG2, U373 and SGC-7901 carcinoma cell lines. Seven previously undescribed and seven known saponins were identified, and Paris saponins VII (PSVII) showed significant cytotoxicity against the BxPC-3 cell line with IC50 values of 3.59 μM. Furthermore, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy and western-bolt analysis revealed that PSVII inhibited the proliferation of BxPC-3 cells and might be involved in inducing apoptosis and pyroptosis by activating caspase-3, -7 and caspase-1, respectively.