Planta Med 2015; 81(01): 79-89
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1383356
Biological Screening
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Identification and Characterization of Anticancer Compounds Targeting Apoptosis and Autophagy from Chinese Native Garcinia Species

Danqing Xu*
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Yuanzhi Lao*
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Naihan Xu
3   Key Lab in Healthy Science and Technology, Division of Life Science, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
Hui Hu
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Wenwei Fu
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Hongsheng Tan
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Yunzhi Gu
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
,
Zhijun Song
4   Guangxi Botanic Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, Guangxi, P. R. China
,
Peng Cao
5   Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Province Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
,
Hongxi Xu
1   School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
2   Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, P. R. China
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Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received 10. Juli 2014
revised 25. August 2014

accepted 21. Oktober 2014

Publikationsdatum:
05. Dezember 2014 (online)

Abstract

Natural compounds from medicinal plants are important resources for drug development. Active compounds targeting apoptosis and autophagy are candidates for anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we collected Garcinia species from China and extracted them into water or ethanol fractions. Then, we performed a functional screen in search of novel apoptosis and autophagy regulators. We first characterized the anti-proliferation activity of the crude extracts on multiple cell lines. HeLa cells expressing GFP-LC3 were used to examine the effects of the crude extracts on autophagy. Their activities were confirmed by Western blots of A549 and HeLa cells. By using bioassay guided fractionation, we found that two caged prenylxanthones from Garcinia bracteata, neobractatin and isobractatin, can significantly induce apoptosis and inhibit autophagy. Our results suggest that different Garcinia species displayed various degrees of toxicity on different cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the use of a high content screening assay to screen natural products was an essential method to identify novel autophagy regulators.

* Authors contributed equally to this work.


Supporting Information

 
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