Croton tiglium essential oil compounds have anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in A549 lung cancer cell lines

Abstract

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Croton tiglium has the characteristics of laxative, analgesic, antibacterial and swelling. This study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of C. tiglium essential oil (CTEO) extracted from the seeds of C. tiglium and its cytotoxicity and antitumor effect in vitro. Supercritical CO 2 fluid extraction technology was used to extract CTEO and the chemical constituents of the essential oil were identified by comparing the retention indices and mass spectra data taken from the NIST library with those calculated based on the C7-C40 n-alkanes standard. In vitro cytotoxicity of the CTEO was assessed against cancer cell lines (A549) and the human normal bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) using the CCK-8 assay. Proliferation was detected by colony formation experiments. Wound scratch and cell invasion assays were used to detect cell migration and invasion. Levels of apoptotic markers, signaling molecules, and cell cycle regulators expression were characterized by Western blot analysis. As the results, twenty-eight compounds representing 92.39% of the total oil were identified in CTEO. The CTEO has significant antitumor activity on A549 cancer cells (IC 50 48.38 μg/mL). In vitro antitumor experiments showed that CTEO treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 cells, disrupted the cell cycle process, and reduced the expression levels of cyclin A, cyclin B and CDK1. CTEO can also reduce mitochondrial membrane potential, activate caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway, and finally induce apoptosis. CTEO may become an effective anti-cancer drug and will be further developed for cancer treatment.

The Leaf Essential Oil of Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (L.) Nyman: From Phytochemical Characterization to Cytotoxic and Antimigratory Activity in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

“…In Figure 4 c, the Western blot analysis shows a decrease in vimentin protein expression both in DU145 and in PC3 cells after EO MT treatment. Moreover, the migration of cancer cells requires the formation of actin-rich protrusions such as lamellipodia and filopodia, which allow cell motility [ 48 ]. Using immunofluorescence, we then analyzed the effect of treatment with EO MT on actin cytoskeleton organization.…”

Elemi essential oil nanocapsulated drug ameliorates lung cancer via oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation pathway

“…As herbal ingredients, essential oils have emerged as an alternative solution for various infections, including cancer cells 3 . They are generally obtained from the fruits, leaves, seeds and bark of aromatic plants 5 . To date, their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, 8 antioxidant and antitumoral 9 activities have been examined.…”

“…To address this issue, researchers are examining the impact of medicinal and aromatic plants on lung cancer cells. Many studies have been conducted on the effect of herbal ingredients on human adenocarcinoma cells (A549) 5‐7 . As herbal ingredients, essential oils have emerged as an alternative solution for various infections, including cancer cells 3 .…”

“…Many studies have been conducted on the effect of herbal ingredients on human adenocarcinoma cells (A549). 5 , 6 , 7 As herbal ingredients, essential oils have emerged as an alternative solution for various infections, including cancer cells. 3 They are generally obtained from the fruits, leaves, seeds and bark of aromatic plants.…”

Diterpenoids and C13 Nor-Isoprenoid Identified From the Leaves and Twigs of Croton yanhuii Activating Apoptosis and Pyroptosis

“…In China, the seeds of C. tiglium are well known as “Ba-Dou”, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is widely used as an herb for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, and is purgative and antidermatophytic ( Tsai et al, 2004 ; Wang et al, 2008 ; Lin et al, 2016 ). The essential oil extracted from the seeds of C. tiglium shows anti-tumor activity ( Niu et al, 2020 ). Previous secondary metabolite investigations of this genus revealed that diterpenoids were the main ingredients ( Xu et al, 2018 ), including clerodane ( Fattorusso et al, 2002 ), tigliane ( Cui et al, 2019 ), kaurane ( Kuo et al, 2013 ), labdane ( Yang et al, 2016 ), and pimarane ( Isyaka et al, 2020 ), which have a wide range of biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial ( Morales et al, 2005 ; Kuo et al, 2007 ; Leite et al, 2017 ).…”