title: Photodynamic activity of anthraquinones isolated from Heterophyllaea pustulata Hook f. (Rubiaceae) on MCF-7c3 breast cancer cells.
abstract: Searching for agents that could be effective in the treatment of cancer, special highlight has focused on the study of numerous plant-derived compounds. We previously demonstrated that anthraquinones (AQs) isolated from a vegetal species: Heterophyllaea pustulata Hook f. (Rubiaceae), such as rubiadin, rubiadin-1-methyl ether, soranjidiol, soranjidiol-1-methyl ether exhibit photosensitizing properties without antecedents as photodynamic agents in malignant cells. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of these AQs as a phototoxic agent against human breast carcinoma using MCF-7c3 cells. All AQs exhibited significant photocytotoxicity on cancer cells at the concentration of 100 μM with 1 J/cm(2) light dose, resulting soranjidiol-1-methyl ether in complete cell destruction. The observed cellular killing by photoactivated AQs exhibited close relation with singlet oxygen production, except for soranjidiol-1-methyl ether, where cell viability decrease is in relation to uptake by tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Farmacognosia, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (IMBIV-CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Comini
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Rumie Vittar
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Núñez Montoya
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Rivarola
mesh_terms: D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; C569240:soranjidiol; C072500:rubiadin