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A Potential Anti-cancer Compound Separated from the Chloroform Extract of the Chinese Medicine Formula Shenqi San

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Summary

This study examined anti-cancer compounds present in the chloroform extract of the Chinese medicine formula Shenqi San (CE-SS). Silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, octadecylsilyl (ODS) column chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to separate the compounds from CE-SS. The structural formulas of the separated compounds were determined using 1D 1H and 13C experiments as well as high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS). The corresponding results were compared with the reported literature data. A total of six compounds were separated and their structures were identified on the basis of corresponding spectroscopic and physico-chemical properties. They were Saikogenin F (I), Prosaikogenin D (II), Prosaikogenin F (III), β-sitosterol (IV), 3β,16β,23-trihydroxy-13,28-epoxyurs-11-ene-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (V), and methyl ursolic acid (VI). The separated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory ability against the proliferation of A549 cells via MTT assay. Apoptosis was investigated using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) by flow cytometry. Apoptosis-associated proteins were examined by Western blotting. All the compounds were observed to have inhibitory activities against the proliferation of A549 cells to different degrees. Flow cytometry showed that compound V increased the proportion of apoptotic A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting showed that compound V increased the expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9 and cleaved-poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and decreased the expression of Bcl-2. These results indicated that compound V featured a significant inhibitory effect on A549 cells when compared with other compounds, and it may be considered a potential drug against cancers.

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Author notes

  1. The authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Medical College, Jianghan University, Wuhan, 430056, China

    Lu Shi

  2. Hubei Key Laboratory of Resources and Chemistry of Chinese Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China

    Yi-jun Tu, Yu Xia, Chao-zhi Ma, Xiao-zhi Peng, Yan-wen Liu, Zhong-zhu Ai & Peng-tao You

  3. Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510220, China

    Si-qi Ye

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  1. Lu Shi
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  2. Yi-jun Tu
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  4. Yu Xia
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  8. Zhong-zhu Ai
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zhong-zhu Ai or Peng-tao You.

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Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China (No. 2018CFB657), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2016M592320) and the Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Jianghan University (No. 08250001).

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Shi, L., Tu, Yj., Ye, Sq. et al. A Potential Anti-cancer Compound Separated from the Chloroform Extract of the Chinese Medicine Formula Shenqi San. CURR MED SCI 40, 138–144 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-020-2157-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-020-2157-5

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