Abstract
Njavara is an important medicinal rice variety of Kerala, India widely used in Ayurveda for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis, neurodegenerative diseases and in rejuvenation therapy. The study evaluated, for the first time, antitumor effects of the two rare flavonolignans, tricin 4′-O-(erythro-β-guaiacylglyceryl) ether (compound 1) and tricin 4′-O-(threo-β-guaiacylglyceryl) ether (compound 2), isolated from ‘Njavara’ black. Both the compounds induced apoptosis in three cancer cell lines colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT 116, ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Chromatin condensation in the three cancer cell lines by Hoechst staining showed >50 % of apoptosis by compounds 1 and 2 at concentration 40 and 30 μg/ml, respectively after 48 h. Further studies substantiated that both the compounds targeted cancer cells through mitochondrial membrane potential loss and subsequent chromatin condensation. Both compounds significantly increased the Annexin V binding thus confirming compounds 1 and 2 to be potential apoptotic agents.
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Acknowledgments
The authors (SM and AJ) are grateful for the funding assistance provided by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Government of Kerala. The author (SM) wishes to thank Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India for the financial support as Senior Research Fellowship (SRF). Thanks are also due to Director, CSIR-NIIST and Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) for constant encouragement and support.
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Mohanlal, S., Maney, S.K., Santhoshkumar, T.R. et al. Tricin 4′-O-(erythro-β-guaiacylglyceryl) ether and tricin 4′-O-(threo-β-guaiacylglyceryl) ether isolated from Njavara (Oryza sativa L. var. Njavara), induce apoptosis in multiple tumor cells by mitochondrial pathway. J Nat Med 67, 528–533 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-012-0710-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-012-0710-7