Umbelliprenin from Ferula szowitsiana inhibits the growth of human M4Beu metastatic pigmented malignant melanoma cells through cell-cycle arrest in G1 and induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Metastatic malignant melanoma have a bad prognosis (median survival: 6-8 months) mainly due to the development of lung, hepatic and brain metastases. In this study we have used the resazurin reduction test and FACS analysis to assess the cytostatic and cytotoxic effect of umbelliprenin from Ferula szowitsiana (Apiaceae) on human solid cancer cells and human primary fibroblasts. We have observed that the cell susceptibility to umbelliprenin decreases in the order M4Beu (metastatic pigmented malignant melanoma)>A549 (nonsmall cell lung carcinoma) approximately PC3 (androgen-resistant prostate carcinoma)>PA1 (ovary teratocarcinoma)>human primary fibroblasts approximately MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma)>DLD1 (colon adenocarcinoma). M4Beu cell-proliferation is inhibited through cell-cycle arrest in G1 and induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis. The finding that the cytotoxic effect of umbelliprenin is markedly more pronounced in M4Beu cells than in primary fibroblasts, suggests a therapeutic margin. As M4Beu cell proliferation is more potently inhibited by umbelliprenin (IC50 12.3 microM) than by the citrus coumarin auraptene (7-geranyloxycoumarin, IC50 17.1 microM) previously reported capable of inhibiting the prevalence of lung metastasis in mice bearing B16BL6 murine melanoma, our data suggest that umbelliprenin orally administered and foods and folk medicines containing this coumarin, may afford protection against the development and early recurrence of malignant melanoma. In vivo investigations are needed to test these hypotheses.