title: Natural product extracts of the Canadian prairie plant, Thermopsis rhombifolia, have anti-cancer activity in phenotypic cell-based assays.
abstract: Many plant species within the terrestrial ecological zones of Canada have not yet been investigated for anti-cancer activity. We examined the scientific literature describing the endemic flora from the prairie ecological zone and selected the species, Thermopsis rhombifolia, locally known as the buffalo bean, for investigation of its anti-cancer potential. We tested it in cell-based assays using phenotypic screens that feature some of the hallmarks of cancer. An ethanolic extract prepared from T. rhombifolia was cytotoxic to HT-29 (colon) and SH-SY5Y (brain) cancer cell lines, and showed little cytotoxicity to a normal human cell line (WI-38). In phenotypic assays, we identified activities in the extracts that target cell death, cell cycle and cell adhesion. These data highlight the anti-cancer potential of previously untested plants found in northern ecological zones and the feasibility of using pertinent phenotypic assays to examine the anti-cancer potential of natural product extracts.
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Cell Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences , University of Lethbridge , 4401 University Dr, Lethbridge , AB , Canada T1K 3M4.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kernéis
authors.forename: Lucy H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Cody W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruyère
authors.forename: Nassima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oumata
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colas
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruchaud
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Golsteyn
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D018744:DNA, Plant; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: HT-29 cells; SH-SY5Y cells; Thermopsis rhombifolia (Fabaceae); WI-38 cells; hallmarks of cancer; phenotypic screening; prairie to pharmacy project