Exploring the Antioxidant Potential of L.: Mitigating Chemotherapeutic Effects of Doxorubicin on Tumor Cells.

Several plants of the genus L. have shown antibacterial, fungicidal, and antiproliferative activity, among other types of activities; however, most species of the genus have not been investigated. L.

Onoseriolide, from , induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells.

The number of colon cancer patients is increasing, and new alternatives for treatment are important. We focused on the sesquiterpene lactone onoseriolide from , which is widely used in traditional medicine. This compound was evaluated to determine its cytotoxic effect and the mechanism of cell death that is induced in the human colon cancer cell line RKO.

Natural Compounds As Modulators of Non-apoptotic Cell Death in Cancer Cells.

Cell death is an innate capability of cells to be removed from microenvironment, if and when they are damaged by multiple stresses. Cell death is often regulated by multiple molecular pathways and mechanism, including apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. The molecular network underlying these processes is often intertwined and one pathway can dynamically shift to another one acquiring certain protein components, in particular upon treatment with various drugs.

Solution and Solid-State Analysis of Binding of 13-Substituted Berberine Analogues to Human Telomeric G-quadruplexes.

The interaction between 13-phenylalkyl and 13-diphenylalkyl berberine derivatives (NAX) and human telomeric DNA G4 structures has been investigated by both spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. NAX042 and NAX053 are the best compounds improving the performance of the natural precursor berberine. This finding is in agreement with the X-ray diffraction result for the NAX053-Tel12 adduct, showing the ligand which interacts via π-stacking, sandwiched at the interface of two symmetry-related quadruplex units, with its benzhydryl group contributing to the overall stability of the adduct by means of additional π-stacking interactions with the DNA residues.

Effect of new berberine derivatives on colon cancer cells.

The natural alkaloid berberine has been recently described as a promising anticancer drug. In order to improve its efficacy and bioavailability, several derivatives have been designed and synthesized and found to be even more potent than the lead compound. Among the series of berberine derivatives we have produced, five compounds were identified to be able to heavily affect the proliferation of human HCT116 and SW613-B3 colon carcinoma cell lines.

Berberine, an epiphany against cancer.

Alkaloids are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases. These compounds are synthesized in plants as secondary metabolites and have multiple effects on cellular metabolism. Among plant derivatives with biological properties, the isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid berberine possesses a broad range of therapeutic uses against several diseases.

Multiple effects of berberine derivatives on colon cancer cells.

The pharmacological use of the plant alkaloid berberine is based on its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; recently, anticancer activity has been attributed to this compound. To exploit this interesting feature, we synthesized three berberine derivatives, namely, NAX012, NAX014, and NAX018, and we tested their effects on two human colon carcinoma cell lines, that is, HCT116 and SW613-B3, which are characterized by wt and mutated p53, respectively. We observed that cell proliferation is more affected by cell treatment with the derivatives than with the lead compound; moreover, the derivatives proved to induce cell cycle arrest and cell death through apoptosis, thus suggesting that they could be promising anticancer drugs.

Multiple effects of the Na(+)/H (+) antiporter inhibitor HMA on cancer cells.

Amiloride derivatives are a class of new promising chemotherapeutic agents. A representative member of this family is the sodium-hydrogen antiporter inhibitor HMA (5-(N,N-hexamethylene amiloride), which has been demonstrated to induce cellular intracytosolic acidification and cell death through the apoptotic pathway(s). This work aims at characterizing drug response of human cancer cell lines to HMA.

Autophagy and cancer.

Autophagy is a housekeeping survival mechanism with a protective function against stress conditions. However, when stress severity or duration increases, it may promote cell death. Paradoxically, autophagy favors cancer development, since cancer cells could enhance their proliferation potential (thus becoming able to resist anticancer therapy) thanks to the energetic supply provided by organelle degradation typically driven by autophagy following a stepwise pathway.