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Effect of 3-O-acetylaleuritolic acid from in vitro-cultured Drosera spatulata on cancer cells survival and migration

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Abstract

Background

Drosera spatulata is a source of many compounds such as naphthoquinones, phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and naphthalene derivatives. Unfortunately, the information regarding the biological activity and chemical profile of those compounds is still incomplete. Herein, we investigated the biological activity of 3-O-acetylaleuritolic acid (3-O-AAA) in cancer cell lines.

Methods

The cell viability of HeLa, HT-29, MCF7, and MCF12A cells was assessed using MTT assay. Proliferation potential was assessed using the clonogenic assay and flow cytometry. Migration modulation was tested using a scratch assay. Protein expression was analyzed by immunoblotting.

Results

3-O-AAA significantly inhibited the growth of all tested tumor cells. The results of the colony formation assay suggested cytostatic properties of the studied compound. The scratch assay showed that 3-O-AAA was an efficient migration inhibitor in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, it caused modulation of mTOR, beclin1, and Atg5 proteins suggesting a possible role of the compound in autophagy induction.

Conclusion

Collectively, these results demonstrated that 3-O-AAA inhibited the proliferation and migration of cancer cell lines as well as contributed to autophagy induction showing some anticancer properties.

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Abbreviations

3-O-AAA:

3-O-acetylaleuritolic acid

CPT:

Camptothecin

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

MTT:

3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

NMR:

Nuclear magnetic resonance

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

PCNA:

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen

WB technique:

Western blot technique

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grant Nos. 502-01-03318432-08035 and 502-14-03303407-09493.

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Author notes

  1. Izabela Kedziora: Deceased on August 17, 2017.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355, Poznan, Poland

    Ewa Toton, Aleksandra Romaniuk-Drapala, Natalia Konieczna, Natalia Lisiak, Anna Paszel-Jaworska, Maria Rybczynska & Blazej Rubis

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Marii Magdaleny 14, 61-861, Poznan, Poland

    Izabela Kedziora & Jaromir Budzianowski

  3. Department of Clinical Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 5D, 60-806, Poznan, Poland

    Mariusz Kaczmarek

  4. Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland

    Anna Rybska & Wiktoria Duszynska

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  1. Ewa Toton
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Contributions

ET planned experiments, was involved in the MTT and trypan blue test, Western blot analysis, the migration assay, and wrote the manuscript. AR contributed to the Western blot and statistical analyses. MK was involved in the flow cytometry analysis. NK and BR participated in the clonogenic assay. NL and APJ were involved in the preparation of the reagents/materials. IK and JB performed the extraction of 3-O-AAA acid from the cultures of Drosera spatulata, and MR and BR contributed to the conception and supervision of the study.

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Correspondence to Ewa Toton.

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Toton, E., Kedziora, I., Romaniuk-Drapala, A. et al. Effect of 3-O-acetylaleuritolic acid from in vitro-cultured Drosera spatulata on cancer cells survival and migration. Pharmacol. Rep 72, 166–178 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-019-00008-x

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