title: Evaluation of in vitro anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory activities of compounds isolated from Curcuma longa.
abstract: The rhizome of Curcuma longa (CL) has been commonly used in Asia as a potential candidate for the treatment of different diseases, including inflammatory disorders and cancers. The present study evaluated the anti-proliferative activities of the isolated compounds (three curcuminoids and two turmerones) from CL, using human cancer cell lines HepG2, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. The immunomodulatory activities of turmerones (alpha and aromatic) isolated from CL were also examined using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our results showed that the curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) and alpha-turmerone significantly inhibited proliferation of cancer cells in dose-dependent manner. The IC(50) values of these compounds in cancer cells ranged from 11.0 to 41.8 microg/ml. alpha-Turmerone induced MDA-MB-231 cells to undergo apoptosis, which was confirmed by annexin-V and propidium iodide staining, and DNA fragmentation assay. The caspase cascade was activated as shown by a significant decrease of procaspases-3, -8 and -9 in alpha-turmerone treated cells. Both alpha-turmerone and aromatic-turmerone showed stimulatory effects on PBMC proliferation and cytokine production. The anti-proliferative effect of alpha-turmerone and immunomodulatory activities of ar-turmerone was shown for the first time. The findings revealed the potential use of CL crude extract (containing curcuminoids and volatile oil including turmerones) as chemopreventive agent.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Grace G L
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Ben C L
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Po-Ming
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: Mavis Y H
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Clara B S
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D017304:Annexin A5; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D036381:Diarylheptanoids; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D036381:Diarylheptanoids; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007659:Ketones; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C078098:ar-turmerone; C034786:bisdemethoxycurcumin; D014050:Toluene; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003474:Curcumin