Delineate the role of plant fuorocoumarin derivatives on hepatocarcinoma, DNA Topoisomerase I and mitotic cell division

Abstract

Furocoumarins are produced by plant members via the phenylpropanoid pathway. Natural and chemically synthesized furocoumarins exhibit promising anticancer activity. This work aims to increase our understanding of the mechanism by which these compounds can suppress cancer. Therefore, two medicinal plants, Apium graveolense & Ruta graveolense and 10 synthesized furocoumarin derivative compounds were tested against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG-2). Our results indicated that compound 9 exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity (IC 50 =11.9 µM). Other compounds exerted less cytotoxic activity ranging from IC 50 =28.38 µM for compound one to IC 50 =67.10 µM in case of compound 5. The natural crude extracts exhibited the lowest cytotoxic activity on HepG-2 with values of IC 50 =312.4 and 445.7 µM for Ruta graveolens and Apium graveolens, respectively. Compound 9 was found to inhibit topoisomerase I enzyme, based on the molecular docking analysis, and significantly suppressed the mitotic cell division in the meristematic cells of pea (Pisum sativum) root tips.