Therapeutic Potential of Cardiac Glycosides Against Cancer

The phytochemical screening of Hyophila involuta collected from the Biological Garden of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was carried out to investigate the presence or absence of some secondary metabolites and its antibiotic potentials, using different extracts (with acetone and ethanol) on selected organisms. The extracts obtained were screened for the presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phlobatanins, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenes and xanthoproteins. Antimicrobial activity of the extracts was carried out on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans. Only acetone extract tested positive for the presence of flavonoids, while alkaloids and cardiac glycosides were detected present in both the acetone and ethanolic extracts. Flavonoids were detected present only in the acetone extract. Saponins were detected present only in the ethanolic extract. The extracts (acetone and ethanolic) showed significant activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus flavus. The results obtained from this study indicated that H. involuta has medicinally important compounds, having therapeutic potential from which effective antimicrobial medicine can be sourced.

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Evaluating the Cancer Therapeutic Potential of Cardiac Glycosides

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/794930 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

José Manuel Calderón-Montaño ◽

Estefanía Burgos-Morón ◽

Manuel Luis Orta ◽

Dolores Maldonado-Navas ◽

Irene García-Domínguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Cardiac Glycosides ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Human Cancer ◽

Selective Inhibition ◽

Cancer Cell Proliferation ◽

Cancer Cell Growth ◽

Human Cancer Cells

Cardiac glycosides, also known as cardiotonic steroids, are a group of natural products that share a steroid-like structure with an unsaturated lactone ring and the ability to induce cardiotonic effects mediated by a selective inhibition of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Cardiac glycosides have been used for many years in the treatment of cardiac congestion and some types of cardiac arrhythmias. Recent data suggest that cardiac glycosides may also be useful in the treatment of cancer. These compounds typically inhibit cancer cell proliferation at nanomolar concentrations, and recent high-throughput screenings of drug libraries have therefore identified cardiac glycosides as potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth. Cardiac glycosides can also block tumor growth in rodent models, which further supports the idea that they have potential for cancer therapy. Evidence also suggests, however, that cardiac glycosides may not inhibit cancer cell proliferation selectively and the potent inhibition of tumor growth induced by cardiac glycosides in mice xenografted with human cancer cells is probably an experimental artifact caused by their ability to selectively kill human cells versus rodent cells. This paper reviews such evidence and discusses experimental approaches that could be used to reveal the cancer therapeutic potential of cardiac glycosides in preclinical studies.

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REVIEW ON NYCTANTHES ARBOR-TRISTIS (HARSINGHAR) - A HERBAL MEDICAMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO UNANI MEDICINE

Indian Journal of Unani Medicine ◽

10.53390/ijum.v14i1.10 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Azma Azma ◽

Waseem Ahmad ◽

Asim Ali Khan ◽

Mohammad Fazil

Keyword(s):

Cardiac Glycosides ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Herbal Drugs ◽

Pharmacological Activities ◽

Unani Medicine ◽

Pharmacological Studies ◽

Different Types ◽

Medicinal Properties ◽

Coloring Matter ◽

Different Parts

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn is one of the important herbal drugs used for therapeutic purpose in India. It is described with the name 'Harsinghar' in Unani Medicine. Various parts of the plant are used medicinally to cure various diseases since centuries ago. These medicinal properties of the plant are due to the active phytochemicals present in the plant. Various chemicals have been isolated from this miracle plant having therapeutic potential possessing ethnomedical and pharmacological activities. It is a rich source of important phytochemicals like nycanthine, astringent principle, beta cortisol, coloring matter, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins and alkaloids etc. Pharmacological actions of Harsinghar include cholagogue, anthelmintic, laxative, antipyretic, diaphoretic, diuretic; for which the the plant is employed in the treatment of skin disorders, dandruff, malaria, different types of fever, hemorrhoids, palpitation, cough, excessive menstrual bleeding menstrual etc. Diverse pharmacological studies of the plant have been reported such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antipyretic, antioxidant activity proving the traditional claims scientifically. In this paper, an attempt has been made to summarize the information described in classical Unani texts and updated scientific research conducted on different parts of the N. arbor-tristis plant.

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The Natural Product β-Escin Targets Cancer and Stromal Cells of the Tumor Microenvironment to Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Metastasis

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13163931 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 3931

Author(s):

Hilary A. Kenny ◽

Peter C. Hart ◽

Kasjusz Kordylewicz ◽

Madhu Lal ◽

Min Shen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Cardiac Glycosides ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Seed Extract ◽

Horse Chestnut ◽

Horse Chestnut Seed ◽

Ovca Cell

The high mortality of OvCa is caused by the wide dissemination of cancer within the abdominal cavity. OvCa cells metastasize to the peritoneum, which is covered by mesothelial cells, and invade into the underlying stroma, composed of extracellular matrices (ECM) and stromal cells. In a study using a three-dimensional quantitative high-throughput screening platform (3D-qHTS), we found that β-escin, a component of horse chestnut seed extract, inhibited OvCa adhesion/invasion. Here, we determine whether β-escin and structurally similar compounds have a therapeutic potential against OvCa metastasis. Different sources of β-escin and horse chestnut seed extract inhibited OvCa cell adhesion/invasion, both in vitro and in vivo. From a collection of 160 structurally similar compounds to β-escin, we found that cardiac glycosides inhibited OvCa cell adhesion/invasion and proliferation in vitro, and inhibited adhesion/invasion and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, β-escin and the cardiac glycosides inhibited ECM production in mesothelial cells and fibroblasts. The oral administration of β-escin inhibited metastasis in both OvCa prevention and intervention mouse models. Specifically, β-escin inhibited ECM production in the omental tumors. Additionally, the production of HIF1α-targeted proteins, lactate dehydrogenase A, and hexokinase 2 in omental tumors was blocked by β-escin. This study reveals that the natural compound β-escin has a therapeutic potential because of its ability to prevent OvCa dissemination by targeting both cancer and stromal cells in the OvCa tumor microenvironment.

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