title: Antioxidant and proapoptotic activities of Sclerocarya birrea [(A. Rich.) Hochst.] methanolic root extract on the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2.
abstract: The main goal of this study was to characterize the in vitro antioxidant activity and the apoptotic potential of S. birrea methanolic root extract (MRE). Among four tested extracts, obtained with different solvents, MRE showed the highest content of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins together with antioxidant activities tested with superoxide, nitric oxide, ABTS, and beta-carotene bleaching assays. Moreover, the cytotoxic effect of MRE was evaluated on the hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2. In these cells, MRE treatment induced apoptosis and generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxic effect promoted by MRE was prevented by pretreatment of HepG2 cells with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), suggesting that oxidative stress was pivotal in MRE-mediated cell death. Moreover, we showed that the MRE treatment induced the mitochondrial membrane depolarization and the cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytosol. It suggests that the apoptosis occurred in a mitochondrial-dependent pathway. Interestingly, MRE showed a sensibly lower cytotoxicity, associated with a low increase of ROS, in normal human dermal fibroblasts compared to HepG2 cells. It is suggested that the methanolic root extract of S. Birrea is able to selectively increase intracellular ROS levels in cancer cells, promoting cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Armentano
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Faustino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bisaccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocchina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miglionico
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nolfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmosino
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira No. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE/LAQV, Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira No. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valentão
authors.affiliation: Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, BP 5005, Dakar-Fann, Senegal.
authors.forename: Moussoukhoye Sissokho
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Diop
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Basilicata University, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5874-1237
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Milella
mesh_terms: D027926:Anacardiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000432:Methanol