Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of pinocembrin in human prostate cancer cells

Pinocembrin, (5, 7-dihydroxyflavanone), has been shown to possess anticancer activity against various cancer cells. However, its effect against prostate cancer cells remained enigmatic. In this study, for the first time, we investigated whether pinocembrin could inhibit growth of human prostate cancer cells. MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed to examine the effects of pinocembrin on cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. The results revealed that pinocembrin attenuated the cell viability of both androgen-sensitive (LNCaP) as well as androgen-independent (PC3 and DU-145) prostate cancer cell lines, with different p53 status. Further characterization showed that pinocembrin markedly induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells and arrested cell cycle at S and G2/M phase and involved in the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential before culminating in apoptosis in pinocembrin-treated LNCaP cells. These in vitro results suggested that pinocembrin should be further examined for in vivo activity in human prostate cancer

Pinocembrin: A Novel Natural Compound with Versatile Pharmacological and Biological Activities

Pinocembrin (5,7-dihydroxyflavanone) is one of the primary flavonoids isolated from the variety of plants, mainly from Pinus heartwood, Eucalyptus, Populus, Euphorbia, and Sparattosperma leucanthum, in the diverse flora and purified by various chromatographic techniques. Pinocembrin is a major flavonoid molecule incorporated as multifunctional in the pharmaceutical industry. Its vast range of pharmacological activities has been well researched including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. In addition, pinocembrin can be used as neuroprotective against cerebral ischemic injury with a wide therapeutic time window, which may be attributed to its antiexcitotoxic effects. Pinocembrin exhibits pharmacological effects on almost all systems, and our aim is to review the pharmacological and therapeutic applications of pinocembrin with specific emphasis on mechanisms of actions. The design of new drugs based on the pharmacological effects of pinocembrin could be beneficial. This review suggests that pinocembrin is a potentially promising pharmacological candidate, but additional studies and clinical trials are required to determine its specific intracellular sites of action and derivative targets in order to fully understand the mechanism of its anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and apoptotic effects to further validate its medical applications