title: Anticancer activities of six selected natural compounds of some Cameroonian medicinal plants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural products are well recognized as sources of drugs in several human ailments. In the present work, we carried out a preliminary screening of six natural compounds, xanthone V(1) (1); 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone (2); physcion (3); bisvismiaquinone (4); vismiaquinone (5); 1,8-dihydroxy-3-geranyloxy-6-methylanthraquinone (6) against MiaPaCa-2 pancreatic and CCRF-CEM leukemia cells and their multidrug-resistant subline, CEM/ADR5000. Compounds 1 and 2 were then tested in several other cancer cells and their possible mode of action were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tested compounds were previously isolated from the Cameroonian medicinal plants Vismia laurentii (1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) and Newbouldia laevis (2). The preliminary cytotoxicity results allowed the selection of xanthone V(1) and 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone, which were then tested on a panel of cancer cell lines. The study was also extended to the analysis of cell cycle distribution, apoptosis induction, caspase 3/7 activation and the anti-angiogenic properties of xanthone V(1) and 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone. IC(50) values around or below 4 µg/ml were obtained on 64.29% and 78.57% of the tested cancer cell lines for xanthone V(1) and 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone, respectively. The most sensitive cell lines (IC(50)<1 µg/ml) were breast MCF-7 (to xanthone V(1)), cervix HeLa and Caski (to xanthone V(1) and 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone), leukemia PF-382 and melanoma colo-38 (to 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone). The two compounds showed respectively, 65.8% and 59.6% inhibition of the growth of blood capillaries on the chorioallantoic membrane of quail eggs in the anti-angiogenic assay. Upon treatment with two fold IC(50) and after 72 h, the two compounds induced cell cycle arrest in S-phase, and also significant apoptosis in CCRF-CEM leukemia cells. Caspase 3/7 was activated by xanthone V(1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall results of the present study provided evidence for the cytotoxicity of compounds xanthone V(1) and 2-acetylfuro-1,4-naphthoquinone, and bring supportive data for future investigations that will lead to their use in cancer therapy.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors: Victor
authors: V
authors: Kuete
authors: Hippolyte K
authors: HK
authors: Wabo
authors: Kenneth O
authors: KO
authors: Eyong
authors: Michel T
authors: MT
authors: Feussi
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Wiench
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Krusche
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Tane
authors: Gabriel N
authors: GN
authors: Folefoc
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Efferth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002163:Cameroon; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011784:Quail
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D004317:Doxorubicin; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7