Antitumor dinuclear platinum(II) complexes derived from a novel chiral ligand

A new chiral ligand, 2-(((1R,2R)-2-aminocyclohexyl)amino)acetic acid (HL), was designed and synthesized to prepare a series of novel dinuclear platinum(II) complexes with dicarboxylates or sulfate as bridges. The evaluation of these metal complexes in vitro cytotoxicity against human HCT-116, MCF-7 and HepG-2 cell lines were made. All compounds showed antitumor activity to HCT-116 and MCF-7. Particularly, compounds M3 and M5 not only exhibited better activity than carboplatin against MCF-7 and HepG-2, but also showed very close activity to oxaliplatin against HCT-116.     

Oleanane-type triterpenoids from Panax stipuleanatus and their anticancer activities

One newly (1) and 10 known oleanane-type triterpenoids (2-11) were isolated from the methanol extract of Panax stipuleanatus rhizomes. Based on their spectroscopic data, these compounds were identified as spinasaponin A methyl ester (1), pesudoginsenoside RP(1) methyl ester (2), spinasaponin A 28-O-glucoside (3), pseudoginsenoside RT(1) methyl ester (4), pseudoginsenoside RT(1) (5), stipuleanoside R(2) methyl ester (6), stipuleanoside R(2) (7), araloside A methyl ester (8), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→3)-β-D-glucuronopyranoside-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid methyl ester (9), 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid (10), and chikusetsusaponin IVa (11). When the cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated, compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity with IC(50) values of 4.44 and 0.63 μM against HL-60 (leukemia) and HCT-116 (colon cancer) cell lines, respectively. Compound 2 showed potent cytotoxicity with an IC(50) of 6.50 μM against HCT-116, whereas it was less cytotoxic against HL-60 (IC(50)=41.45 μM). After HL-60 and HCT-116 were treated with compounds 1 and 2, increased production of apoptotic bodies was observed. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 2 in HCT-116 cells activated intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways by upregulating DR-5 and Bax, downregulating Bcl-2, activating caspase-9, and cleaving poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). We also observed the activation of ERK1/2 MAPK by both compounds in the HCT-116 cells. Together, compounds 1 and 2 might induce intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways through the activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that a carboxyl group at position-28 is potentially responsible for the cytotoxic effects.     

Targeting Colon Cancer Cells with Pyrazino-Imidazolinone Derivatives: Synthesis,Molecular Docking,and in Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Activities

We report the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, molecular docking and biological evaluation of nine pyrazino-imidazolinone derivatives. These derivatives were evaluated for their anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines: 518A2 melanoma, HCT-116, and HCT-116 p53 knockout mutant colon carcinoma. The MTT assay was employed to assess their effectiveness. Among the nine compounds tested, four compounds (5 a, 5 d, 5 g, and 5 h) exhibited promising antiproliferative activity specifically against HCT-116 p53-negative cells (IC₅₀ 0.23, 0.20, 2.07 and 58.75 μM, respectively). Interestingly, treatment with the 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl derivative 5a resulted in a significant increase (199 %) in caspase activity in HCT-116 p53-negative cells compared to untreated cells while the bromo-pyrazine derivative 5d demonstrated (190 %) increase. These findings suggest that compounds 5a and 5 d induce p53-independent apoptotic cell death. Additionally, in silico molecular docking studies with EGFR and tyrosinase proteins indicated that compounds 5 d and 5 e have the potential to bind to important anticancer drug targets.     

Synthesis and biological evaluations of novel indenoisoquinolines as topoisomerase I inhibitors

A series of novel indenoisoquinoline derivatives were synthesized. The anticancer activities of these molecules were tested in human cancer cell lines A549, HepG2, and HCT-116. These compounds were also tested for their activity of topoisomerase I (top1) inhibition. Among them, compound 25 was found to be 10-times more potent in cell-killing activity for both cell lines HepG2 and HCT-116 than reported compound 11, with IC(50) of 0.019 and 0.093μM, respectively. Compound 25 was also found to have stronger top1 inhibition activity than 11 in our inhibition assay. Further in vivo evaluations of compound 25 are in progress and will be reported in due course.     

Cytotoxic withanolides from Physalis angulata L

Four new withanolides, physagulins L-O (1-4), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the aerial parts of Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae), together with seven known withanolides, compounds 5-11. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic techniques, including 1H-, 13C-NMR (DEPT), and 2D-NMR (HMBC, HMQC, 1H,1H-COSY, NOESY) experiments, as well as by HR-MS. All eleven compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activities towards human colorectal-carcinoma (HCT-116) and human non-small-cell lung-cancer (NCI-H460) cells. Compound 5 exhibited the highest anticancer activity against the HCT-116 cell line, with an IC50 value of 1.64+/-0.06 microM. Compound 9 exhibited the highest cytotoxicity towards the NCI-H460 cell line, with an IC50 value of 0.43+/-0.02 microM.     

Analogs of the marine alkaloid makaluvamines: synthesis, topoisomerase II inhibition, and anticancer activity

Twelve analogs of makaluvamines have been synthesized. These compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the enzyme topoisomerase II. Five compounds were shown to inhibit topoisomerase catalytic activity comparable to two known topoisomerase II targeting control drugs, etoposide and m-AMSA. Their cytotoxicity against human colon cancer cell line HCT-116 and human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 has been evaluated. Four makaluvamine analogs exhibited better IC(50) values against HCT-116 as compared to control drug etoposide. One analog exhibited better IC(50) value against HCT-116 as compared to m-AMSA. All 12 of the makaluvamine analogs exhibited better IC(50) values against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 as compared to etoposide as well as m-AMSA.     

Painting with a molecular brush: genomic/proteomic interfacing to define the drug action profile of novel solid-tumor selective anticancer agents.

XK469 is an investigational anticancer agent that exhibits antiproliferative activity in tumor-bearing animal models. We examined the drug-action profile of this agent at the molecular level regarding alterations induced in gene expression and proteins in HCT-116 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. We used a unique cDNA microarray (GeneMap(TM) Cancerarray) comprising 1152 human tumor-related genes and 2-D gel electrophoresis, respectively, following a 24-hour exposure to a drug concentration that killed a two-log fraction of HCT-116 clonogenic cells. Functional gene cluster profile (FGCP) analysis of the 71 out of 1152 genes that displayed a >2-fold increase or decrease in expression (over untreated control) identified a drug-specific involvement of the MAPK signal transduction pathway. MAPK signaling together with the involvement of ubiquitin proteins from 2-D gel electrophoresis suggest a novel drug-action profile at the molecular level for the in vitro antiproliferative activity of XK469.     

Synthesis of (Z)-3-(arylamino)-1-(3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-ones as potential cytotoxic agents

The new derivatives based on (Z)-3-(arylamino)-1-(3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one scaffold was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic potential against a panel of cancer cell lines, viz., A549 (human lung cancer), HCT-116 (human colorectal cancer), B16F10 (murine melanoma cancer), BT-474 (human breast cancer), and MDA-MB-231 (human triple-negative breast cancer). Among them, many of the synthesized compounds exhibited promising cytotoxic potential against the panel of tested cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ <30 µM. Based on the preliminary screening results, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the compounds was established. Among the synthesized compounds, 15i displayed a potential anti-proliferative activity against HCT-116 cancer cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 1.21 ± 0.14 µM. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that compound 15i arrested the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, clonogenic assay, acridine orange staining, DAPI nuclear staining, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and annexin V-FITC assays revealed that compound 15i promoted cell death through apoptosis.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of six dinuclear platinum(II) complexes

Six dinuclear platinum(II) complexes with a chiral tetradentate ligand, (1R,1′R,2R,2′R)-N¹,N^1′-(1,4-phenylenebis(methylene))dicyclohexane-1,2-diamine, have been designed, synthesized and characterized. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of these metal complexes against human A549, HCT-116, MCF-7 and HepG-2 cell lines have been carried out. All compounds showed antitumor activity to HepG-2, HCT-116 and A549. Particularly, compounds A1 and A2 exhibited significant better activity than other four compounds and A2 even showed comparable cytotoxicity to cisplatin against HepG-2 cell line.     

5-alk(en)ylresorcinols as the major active components in wheat bran inhibit human colon cancer cell growth

We and others have found that wheat bran oil is the active constituent in wheat bran for colon cancer prevention. However, the active components in wheat bran oil are still unknown. Using human colon cancer cells (HCT-116 and HT-29) as the guiding assays, we further purified the active components from wheat bran using column chromatography. In this study, we identified that a fraction containing 5-n-alk(en)ylresorcinols had the strongest inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells. Further purification led to the identification of 14 5-alk(en)ylresorcinols. Among them, 7, (10'Z,13'Z,16'Z)-5-(nonadeca-10',13',16'-trienyl)resorcinol, is a novel compound and 5, 6, 9, 10, and 13 were purified as individual compounds for the first time. The identification and structural elucidation of these compounds were based on 1D and 2D NMR and tandem mass spectral analyses. All these compounds (1-14) except 10 were evaluated for growth inhibition of human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29). Our results indicate that increasing the length of the side chain will diminish the inhibitory activity, and the existence of a double bond and a carbonyl group will strengthen such an activity.     

Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of a novel series of triaminotriazine derivatives

A series of triaminotriazine derivatives (compounds 5a-f, 6a-x, and 7a-g) was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their inhibition activities to colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29). Most of the synthesized compounds demonstrated moderate anti-proliferatory effects on both HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines at the concentration of 10 microM. The inhibitory activities against HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines were discussed to develop the structure-activity relationships of this new series. Compounds 6l and 6o exhibited prominent inhibition activities toward HCT-116, with IC50s of 0.76 and 0.92 microM, respectively. The in vivo antitumor studies and pharmacokinetics of compound 6l showed that it might be a promising new hit for further development of antitumor agents.     

Bioactive phenolic compounds from the Egyptian Red Sea seagrass Thalassodendron ciliatum

Five flavonoids (rutin, asebotin, 3-hydroxyasebotin, quercetin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside, and a racemic mixture of catechin) and caffeic acid were isolated and identified for the first time from seagrass, Thalassodendron ciliatum, collected from the Hurghada region in Egypt. The crude extract and the isolated pure compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HCT-116, HEPG, MCF-7, and HeLa human cancer cell lines, for their antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex and hepatitis A viruses, and for their antioxidant activity.     

Development of C-20 modified betulinic acid derivatives as antitumor agents

Chemical modifications were performed on C-20 position of betulinic acid for a structure-activity relationship study. The evaluation of the compounds using human colon carcinoma HCT-116, human prostate adenocarcinoma PC3, and human melanoma cell lines M14-MEL, SK-MEL-2, and UACC-257 did not show any selective cytotoxicity towards melanoma cells. The results from both MTT reduction assay and SRB staining assay were comparable that no remarkable differences in cytotoxicity profile of the compounds were noticed. The C-20 position was found to be sensitive to the size and the electron density of the substituents in retaining the cytotoxicity of betulinic acid and was found to be undesirable position to derivatize.     

New Glycerolipids from the Traditional Chinese Medicine of Syngnathus acus (Hai-Long)

Two new glycerolipids, syngaculipids A and B ( 1 and 2 ), one first naturally occurring metabolite ( 8 ), together with five known compounds ( 3 – 7 ) were isolated from the AcOEt fraction of Syngnathus acus L. (Hai-Long). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectral analyses involving UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra and ECD calculations. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against A549 and HCT-116 cell lines. Compound 8 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of 34.5 and 38.9 μM on the A549 and HCT-116 cell lines, respectively.     

土壤真菌Curvularia affinis HS-FG-196抗肿瘤化学成分的再研究

为对土壤真菌Curvularia affinis HS-FG-196的次级代谢产物及其体外抗肿瘤活性进行进一步研究。实验采用大孔吸附树脂HP-20树脂柱、硅胶柱、凝胶LH-20柱及半制备高效液相色谱柱从Curvularia affinis HS-FG-196的发酵培养物中分离得到六个单体化合物(1～6)。利用~1H NMR、¹³C NMR、~1H-~1H COSY、HMQC、HMBC、IR、UV和MS等波谱分析方法对其进行了结构鉴定,分别是:pyrenocine S (1)、pyrenocine B (2)、pyrenocine E (3)、pyrenocine I (4)、pyrenochaetic acid B (5)和pyrenochaetic acid C (6),其中化合物1是新化合物。对所得单体化合物进行了体外抗肿瘤活性测试,结果显示化合物1、2、3对肿瘤细胞A549、HCT-116、ACHN、K562和HepG2表现出较强的活性。     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of novel HDAC inhibitors as potential antitumor agents

Phenyl imidazolidin-2-one was introduced as the linker for novel HDAC inhibitors. A focused library of 20 compounds was designed and synthesized, among which eight compounds showed equivalent or higher potencies against HDAC1 as compared to vorinostat. In vitro antitumor activity assays in HCT-116, PC-3 and HL-60 cancer cells revealed six compounds with potent antitumor activities, and compound 1o showed 6- to 9-fold higher potencies compared to vorinostat. In an HCT-116 nude mice xenograft model, compound 1o displayed significant antitumor activity in both continuous and intermittent dosing schedules.     

Synthesis of PJOV56, a new quinoxalinyl-hydrazone derivative able to induce autophagy and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells,and related compounds

Quinoxaline derivatives are reported as antineoplastic agents against a variety of human cancer cell lines, with some compounds being submitted to clinical trials. In this work, we report the synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity potential of a new series of quinoxalinyl-hydrazones. The most cytotoxic compound was (E)-2-[2-(2-pyridin-2-ylmethylene)hydrazinyl]quinoxaline (PJOV56) that presented a time-dependent effect against HCT-116 cells. After 48 h of incubation, PJOV56 was able to induce autophagy and apoptosis of HCT-116 cells, mediated by upregulation of Beclin 1, upregulation of LC3A/B II and activation of caspase 7. Apoptosis was induced along with G0/G1 cell cycle arrest at the highest concentration of PJOV56 (6.0 µM). Thus, PJOV56 showed a dose-dependent mode of action related to induction of autophagy and apoptosis in HCT-116 cells.     

Design, synthesis and in vitro cytotoxicity of novel dinuclear platinum(II) complexes

Five dinuclear platinum(II) complexes with a novel chiral ligand, 2-(((1R,2R)-2-aminocyclohexylamino)methyl)phenol (HL), were designed, prepared and spectrally characterized. In vitro cytotoxicity of all the resulting platinum(II) compounds was evaluated against human HEPG-2, A549 and HCT-116 cell lines, respectively. Results indicated that all compounds showed positive biological activity. Particularly, compound D4 has lower IC₅₀ values than carboplatin toward HEPG-2 and A549, while compound D5 shows better activity than carboplatin against A549.     

Synthesis,characterization, molecular modeling,and potential antimicrobial and anticancer activities of novel 2-aminoisoindoline-1,3-dione derivatives

In an effort to establish new drug candidates with improved antimicrobial and anticancer activities, we report here synthesis, molecular modeling, and in vitro biological evaluation of novel substituted N-amino phthalamide derivatives (3a-b, 4a-b, 5a-j, and 6). Structures of the newly synthesized compounds were described by IR, ¹H & ¹³CNMR and LC-MS spectral data. The novel compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against four types of Gm+ve and two for Gm−ve types, and antifungal activity against three fungi microorganisms by well diffusion method. Of these novel compounds, Schiff bases showed mostly promising antibacterial activity compared to reference drugs. A successful step was done for explanation of their mode of action through molecular docking of most active molecules at DNA gyrase B enzyme and further were biologically tested. Moreover, the antiproliferative activity was tested against two human carcinoma cell lines (Human colon carcinoma (HCT-116) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7)) showing promising anticancer activity compared to doxorubicin drug. The data from structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that the lypophilic properties of these compounds might be essential parameter for their activity and suggest that 2-amino phthalamide scaffold derivatives 5g and 5h exhibited good antimicrobial and anticancer activities and might used as leads for further optimization.