The tumor suppressor, p53, plays an essential role in the cellular response to stress through regulating the expression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy. Here, we used a cell-based reporter system for the detection of p53 response transcription to identify the marine sponge metabolites, ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone, as activators of the p53 pathway. We demonstrated that ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone efficiently stabilize the p53 protein through promotion of p53 phosphorylation at Ser15 in both HCT116 and RKO colon cancer cells. Moreover, both compounds upregulate the expression of p21WAF1/CIP1, a p53-dependent gene, and suppress proliferation of colon cancer cells. In addition, ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and increased caspase-3 cleavage and the population of cells that positively stained with Annexin V-FITC, both of which are typical biochemical markers of apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy was elicited by both compounds, as indicated by microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) puncta formations and LC3-II turnover in HCT116 cells. Our findings suggest that ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone exert their anti-cancer activity by activation of the p53 pathway and may have significant potential as chemo-preventive and therapeutic agents for human colon cancer.

High throughput screening of insulin secretion is intractable with current methods. We developed a secreted insulin-luciferase system (Ins-GLuc) in β cells that is rapid, inexpensive, and amenable to 96- and 384-well formats. We treated stable Ins-GLuc-expressing MIN6 cells overnight with 6298 marine natural product fractions. The cells were then washed to remove media and chemicals, followed by stimulation with glucose in the diazoxide paradigm. These conditions allowed the discovery of many insulin secretion suppressors and potentiators. The mechanisms of action of these natural products must be long-lasting given the continuance of secretory phenotypes in the absence of chemical treatment. We anticipate that these natural products and their target pathways will lead to a greater understanding of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Keywords: insulin, Gaussia, high-throughput screening, pancreatic islet beta cell, marine natural products.

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Activity-guided fractionation of a MeOH extract of the roots of Saussurea lappa C.B.Clarke (Compositae), using an in vitro protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibition assay, led to the isolation of four active constituents: betulinic acid (1), betulinic acid methyl ester (2), mokko lactone (3) and dehydrocostuslactone (4), along with nine inactive compounds. Our findings indicate that betulinic acid (1) and its methyl ester 2, as well as the two guaiane sesquiterpenoids 3 and 4 are potential lead moieties for the development of new PTP1B inhibitors.

Colorectal cancer has emerged as a major cause of death in Western countries. Down-regulation of β-catenin expression has been considered a promising approach for cytotoxic drug formulation. Eight 4,9-friedodrimane-type sesquiterpenoids (1–8) were acquired using the oxidative potential of Verongula rigida on bioactive metabolites from two Smenospongia sponges. Compounds 3 and 4 contain a 2,2-dimethylbenzo[d]oxazol-6(2H)-one moiety as their substituted heterocyclic residues, which is unprecedented in such types of meroterpenoids. Gauge-invariant atomic orbital NMR chemical shift calculations were employed to investigate stereochemical details with support of the application of advanced statistics such as CP3 and DP4. Compounds 2 and 8 and the mixture of 3 and 4 suppressed β-catenin response transcription (CRT) via degrading β-catenin and exhibited cytotoxic activity on colon cancer cells, implying that their anti-CRT potential is, at least in part, one of their underlying antineoplastic mechanisms.

Deregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes the development of a broad range of human cancers, including multiple myeloma, and is thus a potential target for the development of therapeutics for this disease. Here, we used a cell-based reporter system to demonstrate that ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone (formerly smenorthoquinone), sesquiterpene-quinones from a marine sponge, inhibited β-catenin response transcription induced with Wnt3a-conditioned medium, by down-regulating the level of intracellular β-catenin. Pharmacological inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β did not abolish the ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone-mediated β-catenin down-regulation. Degradation of β-catenin was consistently found in RPMI-8226 multiple myeloma cells after ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone treatment. Ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone repressed the expression of cyclin D1, c-myc, and axin-2, which are β-catenin/T-cell factor-dependent genes, and inhibited the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells. In addition, ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone significantly induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in RPMI-8266 cells. These findings suggest that ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone exert their anti-cancer activity by blocking the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and have significant potential as therapies for multiple myeloma.

BackgroundThe medicinal plant Siegesbeckia orientalis L. has been commonly used for the treatment of acute arthritis, rheumatism, and gout in Vietnam. However, pharmacological research of this plant associated with gout has not been reported. Anti-hyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated and observed for the crude ethanol extract (CEE) of S. orientalis. Retention of these biological properties was found in a n-butanol-soluble fraction (BuOH fr.) of the extract, and therefore further biological and chemical investigations were undertaken on the BuOH fr. to support the medical relevance of this plant.MethodsThe aerial part of S. orientalis was obtained in the mountainous region of Vietnam. The crude ethanol extract (CEE) and its BuOH fr. were prepared from the plant materials. Anti-hyperuricemic activities of the CEE and BuOH fr. were tested in vivo using the model oxonate-induced hyperuricemia rats through determination of serum uric acid levels and inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase (XO) in the rat liver. Anti-inflammatory activities of the BuOH fr. were also evaluated in vivo using carrageenan-induced paw edema and urate-induced synovitis in rats. Active components of the BuOH fr. were characterized by comparison of HPLC retention time (t R) and spectroscopic data (UV, 1H–NMR) with those of reference compounds.ResultsThe CEE of S. orientalis displayed anti-hyperuricemic activity, and the BuOH fr. was found to be the most active portion of the extract. Further in vivo studies on this fraction showed 31.4% decrease of serum uric acid levels, 32.7% inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XO), 30.4% reduction of paw edema volume, symptomatic relief in urate-induced synovitis and significant analgesic effect at the dose of 120 mg/kg, as compared to the corresponding values of the control groups. Chemical analysis of the BuOH fr. revealed high phenolic content, identified as caffeic acid analogues and flavonones.ConclusionsThis study suggested that anti-hyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory mechanism of S. orientalis is related to XO inhibitory effect of the phenolic components. Our findings support the use of this plant as the treatment of gout and other inflammatory diseases.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1698-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) has been proposed to be a new drug target for the development of anticancer agents because of the significant difference in expression of FAS between normal and tumour cells. Since a n-hexane-soluble extract from Ginkgo biloba was demonstrated to inhibit FAS activity in our preliminary test, we isolated active compounds from the n-hexane-soluble extract and evaluated their cytotoxic activity in human cancer cells. Three ginkgolic acids 1-3 isolated from the n-hexane-soluble extract inhibited the enzyme with IC(50) values 17.1, 9.2 and 10.5 µM, respectively, and they showed cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma) and HL-60 (human leukaemia) cells. Our findings suggest that alkylphenol derivatives might be a new type of FAS inhibitor with cytotoxic activity.