Plant-based compounds are an option to explore and perhaps overcome the limitations of current antitumor treatments. Annona coriacea Mart. is a plant with a broad spectrum of biological activities, but its antitumor activity is still unclear. The purpose of our study was to determine the effects of A. coriacea fractions on a panel of cervical cancer cell lines and a normal keratinocyte cell line. The antitumor effect was investigated in vitro by viability assays, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion assays. Intracellular signaling was assessed by Western blot, and major compounds were identified by mass spectrometry. All fractions exhibited a cytotoxic effect on cisplatin-resistant cell lines, SiHa and HeLa. C3 and C5 were significantly more cytotoxic and selective than cisplatin in SiHa and Hela cells. However, in CaSki, a cisplatin-sensitive cell line, the compounds did not demonstrate higher cytotoxicity when compared with cisplatin. Alkaloids and acetogenins were the main compounds identified in the fractions. These fractions also markedly decreased cell proliferation with p21 increase and cell cycle arrest in G2/M. These effects were accompanied by an increase of H2AX phosphorylation levels and DNA damage index. In addition, fractions C3 and C5 promoted p62 accumulation and decrease of LC3II, as well as acid vesicle levels, indicating the inhibition of autophagic flow. These findings suggest that A. coriacea fractions may become effective antineoplastic drugs and highlight the autophagy inhibition properties of these fractions in sensitizing cervical cancer cells to treatment.

Composição Química e Atividade Antimicrobiana dos Óleos Essenciais das Flores e Folhas de Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae) Resumo: Os óleos essenciais (OE) das flores e folhas foram obtidos por hidrodestilação e analisados por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massa (CG-EM). Os principais compostos identificados no OE das flores foram: pentadecan-2-ona (16,38 %), biciclogermacreno (9,74 %), 7-epi-α-eudesmol (7,76 %), khusinol (7,23 %), n-tricosano (6,17 %), heptadecan-2-ona (5,83 %), geranil-α-terpineno (4,46 %) e cedr-8(15)-en-9α-ol (4,40 %). O OE das folhas apresentou predominantemente espatulenol (27,11 %), khusinol (13,04 %), biciclogermacreno (8,52 %), globulol (6,47 %), cis-guaia-3,9dien-11-ol (5,98 %), 2-epi-α-cedren-3-ona (4,69 %) e elemicina (4,32 %). A atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos essenciais foi testada em cepas bacterianas Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas, além de fungos. As menores concentrações inibitórias mínimas (CIM) foram observadas frente à Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 12345 (200 e 100 µg mL-1) para as flores e folhas, respectivamente. Quanto ao potencial antifúngico, o OE das folhas apresentou atividade moderada (500 µg mL-1) frente à Candida albicans. Em suma, este estudo reporta dados sobre a composição química e atividade antimicrobiana do OE de flores X. aromatica, contribuindo para o conhecimento sobre esta espécie Palavras-chave: Xylopia aromatica; flores; óleo essencial; CG-EM; atividade antimicrobiana.

Araticum is an edible and appreciable fruit of Annona coriacea, which is popularly known as a traditional herb in the Brazilian cerrado. A phytochemical study from the leaves of A. coriacea showed that HPLC-ESI-Q-Orbitrap ® provided through PRM experiments (MS 2 ) is an efficient method for the fast and accurate analysis of a complex mixture of annonaceous acetogenins, with the identification of sylvaticin and gigantetrocin-A type acetogenins for the first time. In addition, the crude leaf extract and acetogenin-rich fractions were assayed against Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguinis and S. salivarius strains, which are usually related to oral infections.

Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) is a typical species from the Brazilian cerrado that presents medicinal properties. The plant is distinguished by its large white flowers which produce a pleasant fragrance. X. aromatica is characterized by a wide range of medicinal application. These characteristics have motivated us to investigate the flowers volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via in vivo and in vitro protocols by a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS‑SPME) technique combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC‑MS). Four different fibers, extraction times and temperatures were the parameters changed to lead to the maximum profiling of the volatile constituents. Data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 77 VOCs were extracted from the floral scent, with 52 and 68 extracted from in vivo and in vitro sampling, respectively, of which 48 were reported for the first time in the literature as volatile constituents from X. aromatica flowers. The extraction and identification of VOCs were successfully performed through HS-SPME/GC-MS. The PCA data allowed the identification of parameters that led to the maximum number of VOCs, which were polyacrylate (PA) and carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fibers, 60 min extraction time and temperature of 29.0 °C. Among the volatile constituents identified, sesquiterpenes predominated, comprising about 61.04%.

Our search for candidates for photosynthesis inhibitors is allowing us to report the effect of two acetogenins identified in Annona coriacea Mart. leaves, ACGÀ A and ACGÀ B, a non-adjacent bis-THF and a mono-THF types, respectively. This is an important class of natural products which presents biological properties such as anticancer, neurotoxic, larvicidal and insecticidal. However, this is only the second report associated to its herbicidal activity. Their mechanisms of action on the light reactions of the photosynthesis were elucidated by polarographic techniques. Compounds inhibited the noncyclic electron transport on basal, phosphorylating, and uncoupled conditions from H 2 O to methyl viologen (MV); therefore, they act as Hill reaction inhibitors. Studies on fluorescence of chlorophyll a (ChL a) indicated that they inhibited the acceptor side of PSII between P680 and PQ-pool, exactly as the commercial herbicide DCMU does.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an incurable primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Resection, radiation therapy, and temozolomide (TMZ) are insufficient to increase survival, making the treatment limited. Thus, the search for more effective and specific treatments is essential, making plants a promising source for elucidating new anti-glioblastoma compounds. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of four fractions of hexane and ethyl acetate extract of Annona coriacea Mart., enriched with acetogenins, against GBM cell lines. All four fractions were selectively cytotoxic to GBM cells when compared to TMZ. Moreover, A. coriacea fractions delayed cell migration; reduced cytoplasmic projections, the metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) activity; and induced morphological changes characteristic of necroptosis, possibly correlated with the increase in receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 and 3 (RIP-1 and RIP-3), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and the non-activation of cleaved caspase 8. The present findings reinforce that fractions of A. coriacea Mart. should be considered for more studies focusing treatment of GBM.