title: Major triterpenoids in Chinese hawthorn "Crataegus pinnatifida" and their effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.
abstract: The cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effect of phytochemicals presenting in the fruits of Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) were evaluated. Shanlihong (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N.E.Br.) variety possessed significant levels of flavonoids and triterpenoids, and showed potent antiproliferative effect against HepG2, MCF-7 and MDA-MB- 231 human cancer cells lines. Triterpenoids-enriched fraction (S9) prepared by Semi-preparative HPLC, and its predominant ingredient ursolic acid (UA) demonstrated remarkably antiproliferative activities for all the tested cancer cell lines. DNA flow cytometric analysis showed that S9 fraction and UA significantly induced G1 arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting analysis revealed that S9 fraction and UA significantly induced PCNA, CDK4, and Cyclin D1 downregulation in MDA-MB-231 cells, followed by p21Waf1/Cip1up-regulation. Additionally, flow cytometer and DNA ladder assays indicated that S9 fraction and UA significantly induced MDA-MB-231 cells apoptosis. Mitochondrial death pathway was involved in this apoptosis as significantly induced caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. These results suggested that triterpenoids-enriched fraction and UA exhibited antiproliferative activity through the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction, and was majorly responsible for the potent anticancer activity of Chinese hawthorn.
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Center of Guangdong Food Green Processing and Nutrition Regulation Engineering Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Lingrong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Center of Guangdong Food Green Processing and Nutrition Regulation Engineering Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Ruixue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Center of Guangdong Food Green Processing and Nutrition Regulation Engineering Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510640, China. Electronic address: feyoulijun@scut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Arshad Mehmood
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Center of Guangdong Food Green Processing and Nutrition Regulation Engineering Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.
authors.forename: Rui Hai
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D027825:Crataegus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014315:Triterpenes
keywords: Apoptosis; Cell cycle; Corosolic acid (PubChem CID: 6918774); Crataegus pinnatifida; Epicatechin (PubChem CID: 72276); MDA-MB-231; Maslinic acid (PubChem CID: 73659); Oleanolic acid (PubChem CID: 10494); Procyanidine B(2) (PubChem CID: 122738); Semi-preparative HPLC; Ursolic acid; Ursolic acid (PubChem CID: 64945)