Eun Bee Jung1, Tuy An Trinh2, Tae Kyoung Lee3, Noriko Yamabe4, Ki Sung Kang5, Ji Hoon Song6, Sungyoul Choi7, Sanghyun Lee8, Tae Su Jang9, Ki Hyun Kim10, Gwi Seo Hwang11. 1. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: dmaql1004di@naver.com. 2. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: tuyantrinh@gmail.com. 3. School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea. Electronic address: charmelon8@gmail.com. 4. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: norikoy@gachon.ac.kr. 5. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: kkang@gachon.ac.kr. 6. Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, South Korea. Electronic address: jhsong.john@gmail.com. 7. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: pc1075@gachon.ac.kr. 8. Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, South Korea. Electronic address: slee@cau.ac.kr. 9. Institute of Green Bio Science & Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeong Chang 232-916, South Korea. Electronic address: jangts@snu.ac.kr. 10. School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea. Electronic address: khkim83@skku.edu. 11. College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, South Korea. Electronic address: seoul@gachon.ac.kr.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), also known as white turmeric or zedoaria, has been used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine to treat various cancers, and it possesses several sesquiterpenoid compounds. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a methanolic (MeOH) extract of C. zedoaria rhizomes, as well as its active constituents, against gastric cancer, which is a frequently diagnosed cancer in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Repeated column chromatography, together with semi-preparative HPLC purification, was used to separate the bioactive constituents from the C. zedoaria MeOH extract. The cytotoxic effects of the C. zedoaria MeOH extract and its active compounds were measured in human gastric cancer AGS cells. Expression of proteins related to apoptosis was evaluated using Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The MeOH extract of C. zedoaria rhizomes exerted a cytotoxic effect on AGS cells (IC50: 96.60 ± 4.87μg/mL). Based on the bioactivity-guided fractionation for antiproliferative activity, a chemical investigation of the MeOH extract led to the isolation of five sesquiterpenes including isoprocurcumenol (1), germacrone (2), curzerenone (3), curcumenol (4), and curcuzedoalide (5). Among these, curcuzedoalide demonstrated the strongest effect in suppressing gastric cancer cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 125.11±2.77μM. Western blotting analysis showed that curcuzedoalide inhibited AGS human gastric cancer cell viability by activating caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP, which contributed to apoptotic cell death in AGS human gastric cancer cells. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that curcuzedoalide contributed to the cytotoxicity of C. zedoaria by activating the cleavage of caspases and PARP, which are representative markers for apoptosis. Therefore, curcuzedoalide is a positive candidate for the development of novel chemotherapeutics.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), also known as white turmeric or zedoaria, has been used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine to treat various cancers, and it possesses several sesquiterpenoid compounds. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of a methanolic (MeOH) extract of C. zedoaria rhizomes, as well as its active constituents, against gastric cancer, which is a frequently diagnosed cancer in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Repeated column chromatography, together with semi-preparative HPLC purification, was used to separate the bioactive constituents from the C. zedoariaMeOH extract. The cytotoxic effects of the C. zedoariaMeOH extract and its active compounds were measured in humangastric cancer AGS cells. Expression of proteins related to apoptosis was evaluated using Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The MeOH extract of C. zedoaria rhizomes exerted a cytotoxic effect on AGS cells (IC50: 96.60 ± 4.87μg/mL). Based on the bioactivity-guided fractionation for antiproliferative activity, a chemical investigation of the MeOH extract led to the isolation of five sesquiterpenes including isoprocurcumenol (1), germacrone (2), curzerenone (3), curcumenol (4), and curcuzedoalide (5). Among these, curcuzedoalide demonstrated the strongest effect in suppressing gastric cancer cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 125.11±2.77μM. Western blotting analysis showed that curcuzedoalide inhibited AGS humangastric cancer cell viability by activating caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP, which contributed to apoptotic cell death in AGS humangastric cancer cells. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that curcuzedoalide contributed to the cytotoxicity of C. zedoaria by activating the cleavage of caspases and PARP, which are representative markers for apoptosis. Therefore, curcuzedoalide is a positive candidate for the development of novel chemotherapeutics.