title: Analysis of the anticancer activity of curcuminoids, thiotryptophan and 4-phenoxyphenol derivatives.
abstract: Curcumin, a non-nutritive yellow pigment derived from the rhizome ofCurcuma longa(turmeric), is considered to be an established nutraceutical with anticancer activity. Turmeric contains three principal components, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, of which curcumin is most abundant and potent. The concurrence of a high consumption of turmeric and a low incidence of prostate cancer in Asian countries may suggest a role for curcumin in chemoprevention. Curcumin has been identified to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anticarcinogenic properties. Since the compound does not exhibit side effects, curcumin has been designated for several clinical trials as a treatment for human cancers. The pro-apototic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics of curcumin are implicated in its anticancer activity, yet the mechanism of action of curcumin remains unknown. To achieve an effective pharmacological outcome, curcumin must reach and sustain appropriate levels at the site of action. However, the main disadvantage of curcumin is its high metabolic instability and poor aqueous solubility that limits its systemic bioavailability. To overcome this difficulty, the present study tested the anticancer activity of new curcumin-like compounds (E21cH and Q012095H). Also, the use of new medicaments requires an understanding of their pharmacokinetic profiles and targets. Thus, molecular modeling methods were used to identify the targets of curcumin and curcumin-like compounds compared with other anticancer drugs (Q012138 and Q012169AT), which were used as the controls. The present study identified several enzymes that are targeted by curcumin, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10), serine/threonine-protein kinase, protein kinase C, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), cyclooxygenase and epidermal growth factor receptor, which were tested as targets for these anticancer chemicals. All the examined small compounds demonstrated anticancer activity in thein vitroexperiments and may impact cancer cells by acting on AKR1B10, MMP-9 and their targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
authors.forename: Shireen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keck
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skrzypczak-Jankun
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Urology Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA ; Protein Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk 80-211, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jankun
keywords: 4-phenoxyphenol; anticancer; curcumin; derivatives; thiotryptophan