Four tetrahydroxanthone dimers (1-4) and four biogenetically related monomers (5-8), including the new derivatives (4-6), were isolated from the endophyte Phomopsis longicolla. The absolute configurations of 2-4 were established for the first time by TDDFT ECD calculations and that of phomoxanthone A (1) was revised by X-ray crystallography. Phomox...
Our aim was to better understand peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)-independent pathways involved in anti-cancer effects of thiazolidinediones (TZDs). We focused on Δ2-troglitazone (Δ2-TGZ), a PPARγ inactive TZD that affects breast cancer cell viability. Appearance of TUNEL positive cells, changes in mitochondrial membrane pot...
Since centuries, natural compounds from plants, animals and microorganisms were used in medicinal traditions to treat various diseases without a solid scientific basis. Recent studies have shown that plants that were used or are still used in the medieval European medicine are able to provide relieve for many diseases including cancer. Here we summ...
Cell division cycle (CDC) 25 proteins are key phosphatases regulating cell cycle transition and proliferation by regulating CDK/cyclin complexes. Overexpression of these enzymes is frequently observed in cancer and is related to aggressiveness, high-grade tumors and poor prognosis. Thus, targeting CDC25 by compounds, able to inhibit their activity,...
Constitutive activity of kinases has been reported in many types of cancers, so that inhibition of "onco-kinases" became a validated anti-cancer strategy. We found that the polyphenol 13c, a tri-vanillate derivative, inhibited kinase phosphorylation in leukemia cells. P-JAK2, P-Src and P-PI3Kp85 inhibition occurred independently of phosphatase invo...
Over the centuries, plant extracts have been used to treat various diseases. Until now, natural products have played an important role in anticancer therapy as there are more than 500 compounds from terrestrial and marine plants or microorganisms, which have antioxidant, antiproliferative, or antiangiogenic properties and are therefore able to redu...
(R)-(+)-Goniothalamin (GTN), a styryl-lactone isolated from the medicinal plant Goniothalamus macrophyllus, exhibits pharmacological activities including cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, GTN modulated TNF-α induced NF-κB activation. GTN concentrations up to 20 μM showed low cytotoxic effects in K562 chronic myelogenous leukem...
In the present review, we describe chemical and chemopreventive properties as well as health benefits of both extracts and bioactive compounds from various types of berries including small soft-fleshed edible berries and from berry-like fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, currants, gooseberries, elderber...
In diseases such as cancer, cells need to degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and therefore require high protease levels. Thus, aberrant tissue degradation is associated to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) overexpression resulting from different mechanisms including epigenetic events. One of the most characterized epigenetic mechanisms is DNA me...
Over the past decades, apoptosis emerged as a leading strategy to eliminate cancer cells. Nowadays, it becomes progressively clear that apoptosis is not the only programmed cell death mechanism implicated in the elimination of malignant cells. This review will discuss non-apoptotic cell death modalities and will focus on natural compounds acting as...
