Apoptotic and Cell Cycle Effects of Triterpenes Isolated from Phoradendron wattii on Leukemia Cell Lines

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 27; no. 17; p. 5616
• Main Authors: Valencia-Chan, Lía S., Moreno-Lorenzana, Dafné, Ceballos-Cruz, Jimmy Josué, Peraza-Sánchez, Sergio R., Chávez-González, Antonieta, Moo-Puc, Rosa E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 31-08-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Apoptosis; Cancer therapies; Cell cycle; Cell growth; Cell viability; Cyclin B; Kinases; Leukemia; lupane-type triterpene; Molecular docking; Myeloid leukemia; Phoradendron; Triterpenes; Tumor cell lines
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175616

Current antineoplastic agents present multiple disadvantages, driving an ongoing search for new and better compounds. Four lupane-type triterpenes, 3α,24-dihydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (1), 3α,23-dihydroxy-30-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (2), 3α,23-O-isopropylidenyl-3α,23-dihydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (3), and 3α,23-dihydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (4), previously isolated from Phoradendron wattii, were evaluated on two cell lines of chronic (K562) and acute (HL60) myeloid leukemia. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 decreased cell viability and inhibit proliferation, mainly in K562, and exhibited an apoptotic effect from 24 h of treatment. Of particular interest is compound 2, which caused arrest in active phases (G2/M) of the cell cycle, as shown by in silico study of the CDK1/Cyclin B/Csk2 complex by molecular docking. This compound [3α,23-dihydroxy-30-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid] s a promising candidate for incorporation into cancer treatments and deserves further study.