Bioactivity-Guided Isolation of Anticancer Agents from Bauhinia Kockiana Korth.

Background: Flowers of Bauhinia kockiana were investigated for their anticancer properties.Methods: Gallic acid (1), and methyl gallate (2), were isolated via bioassay-directed isolation, and they exhibited anticancer properties towards several cancer cell lines, examined using MTT cell viability assay. Pyrogallol (3) was examined against the same cancer cell lines to deduce the bioactive functional group of the phenolic compounds.Results: The results showed that the phenolic compounds could exhibit moderate to weak cytotoxicity towards certain cell lines (GI50 30 - 86 μM), but were inactive towards DU145 prostate cancer cell (GI50 > 100 μM).Conclusion: It was observed that pyrogallol moiety was one of the essential functional structures of the phenolic compounds in exhibiting anticancer activity. Also, the carboxyl group of compound 1 was also important in anticancer activity. Examination of the PC-3 cells treated with compound 1 using fluorescence microscopy showed that PC-3 cells were killed by apoptosis.Key words: Gallic acid; Bauhinia kockiana; pyrogallol; anticancer; apoptosis

Evidence of the gastroprotective and anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of β-mangostin isolated from Cratoxylum arborescens (vahl) blume

Heyam Mohamed Ali Sidahmed,1 Najihah Mohd Hashim,1 Syam Mohan,2 Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab,2 Manal Mohamed Elhassan Taha,2 Firouzeh Dehghan,3 Maizatulakmal Yahayu,4 Gwendoline Cheng Lian Ee,5 Mun Fai Loke,6 Jamuna Vadivelu6 1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Exercise Science, Sports Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 4Department of Bioproduct Research and Innovation, Institute of Bioproduct Development (IBD), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru, 5Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, 6Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Purpose: β-Mangostin (BM) from Cratoxylum arborescens demonstrated various pharmacological activities such as anticancer and anti-inflammatory. In this study, we aimed to investigate its antiulcer activity against ethanol ulcer model in rats. Materials and methods: BM was isolated from C. arborescens. Gastric acid output, ulcer index, gross evaluation, mucus production, histological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid–Schiff staining and immunohistochemical localization for heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and Bax proteins were investigated. Possible involvement of reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation, prostaglandin E2, antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes, radical scavenging, nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds, and anti-Helicobacter pylori were investigated. Results: BM showed antisecretory activity against the pylorus ligature model. The pretreatment with BM protect gastric mucosa from ethanol damaging effect as seen by the improved gross and histological appearance. BM significantly reduced the ulcer area formation, the submucosal edema, and the leukocytes infiltration compared to the ulcer control. The compound showed intense periodic acid–Schiff staining to the gastric mucus layer and marked amount of alcian blue binding to free gastric mucus. BM significantly increased the gastric homogenate content of prostaglandin E2 glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds. The compound inhibited the lipid peroxidation revealed by the reduced gastric content of malondialdehyde. Moreover, BM upregulate HSP70 expression and downregulate Bax expression. Furthermore, the compound showed interesting anti-H. pylori activity. Conclusion: Thus, it could be concluded that BM possesses gastroprotective activity, which could be attributed to the antisecretory, mucus production, antioxidant, HSP70, antiapoptotic, and anti-H. pylori mechanisms. Keywords: gastric ulcer, reactive oxygen species, heat shock protein 7

Involvement of NF-κB and HSP70 signaling pathways in the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells induced by a prenylated xanthone compound, α-mangostin, from Cratoxylum arborescens [Corrigendum]

Ibrahim MY, Hashim NM, Mohan S, et al. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014;8:2193–2211. On page 2193, author affiliations, “Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia” should be “Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia”. Introduction, first paragraph, the text should read: “Breast cancer has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality in women globally. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reported that breast cancer incidence has an estimation of 26% of all new cancer cases, which is the highest in ratio among all the cancers in American women.1 The National Cancer Registry (NCR) in Malaysia has reported that one in twenty Malaysian women are at a risk of acquiring breast in their lifetime.2 The incidence rate in Malaysia is still considered low if compared to Europe and United States.3 Up to 70% of breast cancer development causes occur in women is reported to be of environmental factors and lifestyle.4,5”  Introduction, second paragraph, first sentence, the text should read: “Radiation therapy has become a valuable tool among cancer treatment strategies for the control of local and regional diseases after 1960 with the invention of the linear accelerator, but, like surgery, radiation therapy alone cannot enucleate metastatic cancer.”  Discussion, first paragraph, first sentence, the text should read: “Apoptosis has a vital role in many functions, ranging from fetal development to adult tissue homeostasis.32”   Read the original articl