@article {1344, title = {Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Sphaeranthus amaranthoides: Drug Loading and Anticancer Properties in Nanomedicine}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {January 2025}, pages = {108-114}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {108}, abstract = {

This study introduces a sustainable method for synthesizing anisotropic Sphaeranthus amaranthoides leaf extract reduced gold nanoparticles (S-GNPs) by utilizing the phenolic compounds present in Sphaeranthus amaranthoides leaf extract. Background: Unlike conventional chemical methods, this eco-friendly approach leverages natural sunlight as a catalyst and hyaluronic acid for stabilization, providing a green, scalable solution. Objectives: The research aims to develop a biocompatible, stable nanoparticle system for targeted cancer drug delivery. Materials and Methods: The nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) to confirm size, morphology, and zeta potential. Stability was tested in saline solutions at physiological pH. In vivo toxicity studies were conducted using zebra fish larvae, demonstrating high biocompatibility at concentrations below 100 μg/mL. Conclusion: Dexamethasone-loaded S-GNPs exhibited significant cytotoxicity against THP-1 Acute Monocytic Leukemia cells, underscoring the potential of this eco-friendly synthesis method for cancer therapy applications. These findings highlight the viability of S-GNPs as effective, biocompatible vehicles for targeted drug delivery, presenting a sustainable alternative to conventional nanoparticle systems.

}, keywords = {Anticancer activity, Dexamethasone, Gold nanoparticles, Leaf extract, Sphaeranthus amaranthoides}, doi = {10.5530/pres.20251946}, author = {Iram Shabbir Khan and Swarnalatha Yanamadala and Senthilkumar Chinnaiyan and Narendran Chiterasu and Sidhika Kannan} } @article {1502, title = {Targeting Breast Cancer with Triazine Derivatives: A Molecular Docking Analysis of Her2 and Parp1 Inhibition}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {September 2025}, pages = {1281-1292}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {1281}, abstract = {

Background: Heterocyclic compounds, particularly triazines, have significant attention in pharmaceutical and industrial research due to their broad spectrum of biological activities. Objective: This study focuses on the synthesis and molecular docking analysis of 15 novel triazine derivatives (TCT1-TCT15) to evaluate their potential as inhibitors of two critical cancer-related targets: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). Materials and Methods: The derivatives were synthesized by reacting 2,4,6-Trichloro- 1,3,5-Triazine (TCT) with various aldehydes, thereby incorporating diverse substituent groups. Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock 1.5.5, and protein-ligand interactions were visualized through Chimera software. Results: The docking results revealed strong binding affinities of the synthesized compounds to both HER2 and PARP1. For HER2, TCT9 (-12.73 kcal/ mol), TCT4 (-12.47 kcal/mol), and TCT5 (-12.34 kcal/mol) showed the most favorable binding energies, all with inhibition constants in the nanomolar range. For PARP1, TCT13 (-13.96 kcal/ mol), TCT12 (-13.64 kcal/mol), and TCT4 (-13.33 kcal/mol) demonstrated superior binding interactions, surpassing those of standard inhibitors. Structural analysis indicated that the presence of electron-withdrawing groups such as -Cl and -NO$_{2}$, as well as electron-donating groups like -OH and -OCH$_{3}$, significantly influenced the binding efficacy of the compounds. Stabilization of the protein-ligand complexes was primarily mediated by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the synthesized triazine derivatives, particularly TCT9, TCT13, and TCT4, exhibit strong potential as anticancer agents, warranting further in vitro and in vivo investigations to explore their clinical applicability.

}, keywords = {Anticancer activity, HER2, Molecular docking, PARP1, S-Triazines, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)}, doi = {10.5530/pres.20252332}, author = {Thamizh Sendhamaraikannan and Nithish kumar Arivukkarasu and Ezhil Sakthivel and Abinaya Seevagavazhuthi and Venkatesan Natarajan and Pradeepraj Devarasu and Aravinth Velmurugan} } @article {1281, title = {Screening of in vitro Anticancer Activity of Various Human Cancer Cell Lines and Induced Apoptosis and Cell Arrest by Ethanolic Bulb Extract of Pancratium zeylanicum}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, month = {October 2024}, pages = {718-726}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Aim: World widely the human society suffers from various types of cancer due to many causes. Thus, finding out a good anticancer agent is a need of the hour. Medicinal herbs are always considered at pole position whenever we discuss anticancer properties. Numerous herbal plants have been assessed and are subjected to phytochemical analysis to learn more about their anticancer effects. Materials and Methods: To assess the anti-cancerous activity of PZBE extract in MTT assay, cell cycle analysis, and apoptosis studies have been performed using different cancer cell lines. Results: This study aims to assess the impact of ethanolic extract of Pancratium zeylanicum Bulbs (PZBE) against cancerous cells in vitro conditions. MTT assay was used to compare the PZBE extract with Annexin V as a positive control compound against four human cancer cell lines, including Human cervical cancer (HeLa), colon cancer (HT-29), lung cancer (A549) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines with the IC50 values of 209.28 μg/mL for HeLa, 133.09 μg/mL for A-549, 264.46 μg/mL for MCF-7 and 264.75 μg/mL for HT-29 cell lines. Increasing of the populations observed in G2-M and G0-G1 cells by 42\% and 44.78\%, respectively when compared to the control. The graph demonstrates that PZBE extracts significantly induced G0-G1 arrest in A-549 cells. Furthermore, the PZBE extract effectively induced apoptosis when compared to untreated cells, A-549 cells treated with IC50 concentration, and annexin-V double-staining assay demonstrated an increase in the percentage of early and late apoptotic cells. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Pancratium zeylanicum bulbs demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines HeLa, A-549, MCF-7, and HT-29. The current study{\textquoteright}s findings may be helpful in the development of plant-based anticancer drugs.

}, keywords = {A-549, Annexin-V, Anticancer activity, Apoptosis, Ethanol extract, HeLa, HT-29, MCF-7}, doi = {10.5530/pres.16.4.83}, author = {Elumalai Shanthi Priya and Devaraj Sathiya Sheela and Devaraj Sheeba Gnanadeebam and Balrajmani Davidson Raja and Periannan Viswanathan} } @article {360, title = {HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS Characterization of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Strelitzia nicolai Leaf Extracts and Their Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities In vitro}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {October 2018}, pages = {368-378}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {368}, abstract = {

Background: Strelitzia nicolai Regel and K{\"o}rn (Strelitziaceae) is native to Southern Africa whose phytochemistry and pharmacology were slightly investigated. Materials and Methods: In the current work, different solvent extracts of S. nicolai were screened for their chemical profiles through high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) analyses. Furthermore, their in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anticancer activities were evaluated using 2,2{\textquoteright}-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,2{\textquoteright}-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) \& ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and crystal violet staining (CVS) colorimetric assays, respectively. Results: HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS analyses led to the identification of nineteen and eleven phenolic compounds from the ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts, respectively including flavonoids (e.g., quercetin 3-(2 G-rhamnosylrutinoside, quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3,7-O-dirhamnoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside), phenolic acids derivatives (e.g., chlorogenic acid glycoside, protocatechuic acid-O-glucoside and caftaric acid ), chalcones (e.g., xanthoangelol), and phenylethanoids (e.g., ligstroside glucoside). Moreover, in the DPPH assay the IC50 value of the most active ethyl acetate extract was 20.49 μg/mL, relative to 2.92 μg/mL of ascorbic acid. ABTS and FRAP results reinforced the results of DPPH assay. According to the National Cancer Institute criteria, the tested extracts showed weak to moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50 values ranged from 65.23 to 451.29 μg/ mL. Furthermore, the EtOAc and n-BuOH extracts showed a noticeable anticancer activity with CVS spectroscopic readings for liver hepatocellular carcinoma growth 0.806 and 0.684 at a concentration (125 μg/mL), as well as 0.730 and 0.618 at concentration (500 μg/mL), respectively against control at 1.022. Conclusion: The obtained results reveal the high efficacy of the phenolic-rich extracts from S. nicolai as naturally occurring antioxidant and anti-tumor agents.

}, keywords = {Anticancer activity, Antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, Polyphenolics, Strelitzia nicolai}, doi = {10.4103/pr.pr_89_18}, author = {Mosad Ghareeb and Amal Saad and Wafaa Ahmed and Laila Refahy and Sami Nasr} } @article {378, title = {Crude Extracts of Marine-derived and Soil Fungi of the Genus Neosartorya Exhibit Selective Anticancer Activity by Inducing Cell Death in Colon, Breast and Skin Cancer Cell Lines}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {December 2015}, pages = {8-15}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {8}, abstract = {

Background: The crude ethyl acetate extracts of marine-derived fungi Neosartorya tsunodae KUFC 9213 (E1) and N. laciniosa KUFC 7896 (E2), and soil fungus N. fischeri KUFC 6344 (E3) were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities on a panel of seven human cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was performed, after 48 h treatments with different concentrations of extracts, to determine their concentration of the extract or Dox that inhibits cell viability by 50\% for each cell line. The effects of the crude extracts on DNA damage, clonogenic potential and their ability to induce cell death were also assessed. Results: E1 was found to the void of anti-proliferative effects. E2 was shown to decrease the clonogenic potential in human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT116), human malignant melanoma cell line (A375), human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7), and human caucasian colon adenocarcinoma Grade II cell line (HT29) cells, whereas E3 showed such effect only in HCT116 and MCF7 cells. Both extracts were found to increase DNA damage in some cell lines. E2 was found to induce cell death in HT29, HCT116, MCF7, and A375 cells while extract E3 increased cell death in MCF7 and HCT116 cell lines. Conclusion: The results reveal that E2 and E3 possess anticancer activities in human colon carcinoma, breast adenocarcinoma, and melanoma cells, validating the interest for an identification of molecular targets involved in the anticancer activity.

}, keywords = {Anti-proliferative activity, Anticancer activity, Cancer cell lines, Cell death, Marine-derived fungi, Neosartorya}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.171105}, author = {Alice Abreu Ramos and Bruno Castro-Carvalho and Maria Prata-Sena and Tida Dethoup and Suradet Buttachon and Anake Kijjoa and Eduardo Rocha} } @article {824, title = {Anticancer Active Homoisoflavone from the Underground Bulbs of Ledebouria hyderabadensis}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {August,2014}, pages = {303-305}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {303}, abstract = {

Background: Ledebouria is a genus of deciduous or weakly evergreen bulbs in the Hyacinthaceae family. This is recognized as the first collection made of the new taxon Ledebouria hyderabadensis, exist in the Hyderabad city of Andhra Pradesh, India. Objective: The goal of this work was to investigate the phytochemical constituents present in the new specifies and also to evaluate the cytotoxic properties of the extracts and pure compounds against human cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: The anticancer activity was evaluated in in vitro mode by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Results: Phytochemical investigation of underground bulbs of indigenous, rare, and recently identified herb L. hyderabadensis yielded a bioactive homoisoflavanone, Scillascillin 1. The structure of the compound was established on the basis of various nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral data. The compound Scillascillin was isolated for the first time from L. hyderabadensis. In vitro anticancer activity, performed using MTT assay, showed compound 1 as significantly active against human cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast cancer) and DU-145 (prostate cancer) with inhibitory concentration (IC) 50 values 9.59 and 11.32 μg/ml respectively when compared with herb methanol extract (IC 50 values 36.21 and 44.86 μg/ml respectively).

}, keywords = {Anticancer activity, Hyacinthaceae, Ledebouria hyderabadensis, Scillascillin}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.138272}, author = {Yakaiah Chinthala and Srinivas Chinde and Arigari Niranjana kumar and K.V.N. Satya Srinivas and Jonnala Kotesh Kumar and Kakaraparthy Pandu Sastry and Paramjit Grover and M Venkat Ramana} }