The Cytoprotective and Anti-cancer Potential of Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Nelumbo nucifera

Abstract

: Natural product therapy has been gaining therapeutic importance against various diseases, including cancer. The failure of chemotherapy due to its associated adverse effects promoted adjunct therapy with natural products. Phytochemicals exert anti-carcinogenic activities through the regulation of various cell signaling pathways such as cell survival, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy and metastasis. The ‘small molecule-chemosensitizing agents’ from plants induce apoptosis in drug-resistant and host-immune resistant cancer cells in in vitro as well as in vivo models. For example, alkaloids from Nelumbo nucifera, liensinine, isoliensinine and neferine exert the anticancer activity through enhanced ROS generation, activation of MAP kinases, followed by induction of autophagy and apoptotic cell death. Likewise, these alkaloids also exert their cytoprotective action against cerebrovascular stroke/ischemic stroke, diabetes, and chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity. Therefore, the present review elucidates the pharmacological activities of these bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids which include the cytoprotective, anticancer and chemosensitizing abilities against various diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases and cancer.

Neferine, an alkaloid from lotus seed embryo targets HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cells via pro‐oxidant anticancer mechanism

“…Interestingly, it exhibits the reversal of multi‐drug resistance in cancer cells (Kadioglu et al, 2017). Nef was also shown to inhibit pyroptosis in kidney cells (Tang et al, 2019) and has been suggested to provide protection against cell death in muscle cells, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases (Baskaran, Poornima, Huang, & Padma, 2016; Manogaran, Beeraka, & Padma, 2019). In case of cancer, Nef was demonstrated to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐dependent mitochondrial‐mediated apoptosis in liver, lung, breast, cervical, and osteosarcoma cancer cells (Eid & Abdel‐Rehim, 2017; Poornima, Quency, et al, 2013; Poornima, Weng, et al, 2013; Yang et al, 2016; Zhang et al, 2012).…”

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) and Its Bioactive Phytocompounds: A Tribute to Cancer Prevention and Intervention

“…Most of the previous reviews mainly focused on traditional and ethnopharmacological uses, biosynthesis, phytochemical analysis, industrial applications, and broad-spectrum health benefits of N. nucifera in which an overview of anticancer potential represents a minor representation [29,[31][32][33][34]37]. Several prior publications highlighted pharmacological activities of selected phytochemicals of N. nucifera, and these reports did not have a sole focus on cancer [25,35,36,38,39]. Hence, the aim of this work has been to perform a systematic and critical analysis of fragmentary studies to provide an up-to-date and complete assessment of cancer-preventive and anticancer therapeutic attributes of N. nucifera and its bioactive phytocomponents with an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action.…”

Neferine induces mitochondrial dysfunction to exert anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activities on retinoblastoma

“…Manogaran et al. 29 reported that anti-cancer activity of Nef was achieved through enhanced activation of MAP kinases, ROS generation, followed by induction of apoptotic and autophagy cell death. In this study, we found that Nef treatment prevented invasion, inhibited angiogenesis, and reduced vascular endothelial growth factor expression of WERI-Rb-1 cell.…”