Journal of Natural Products

Tuaimenals B–H, Merosesquiterpenes from the Irish Deep-Sea Soft Coral Duva florida with Bioactivity against Cervical Cancer Cell Lines

Previous chemical investigation of the Irish deep-sea soft coral

Aleutianamine B, A Novel Chiral Sulfoxide Isolated from Latrunculia spp. and Generated via Semi-Synthesis, Exhibits Selectivity for Ovarian Cancer Cells

We report a new optically active sulfoxide containing natural product isolated from an Alaskan

Discovery of Natural Ursane-type SENP1 Inhibitors and the Platinum Resistance Reversal Activity Against Human Ovarian Cancer Cells: A Structure–Activity Relationship Study

Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is one of the most common and refractory gynecologic cancers around the world. The SENP1/JAK2 (small ubiquitin-like modifier-specific protease 1/Janus activating kinase 2) axis activation has been proposed as a critical mechanism in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, and as such, SENP1 inhibitors become a feasible alternative to reverse platinum resistance. In this work, 29 commercially available natural ursane-type aglycones were tested for their SENP1 inhibitory activities, among which 12 aglycones showed IC

Aulosirazoles B and C from the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. UIC 10771: Analogues of an Isothiazolonaphthoquinone Scaffold that Activate Nuclear Transcription Factor FOXO3a in Ovarian Cancer Cells

The known solid-tumor-selective cytotoxin aulosirazole (

Acetogenins from the Stem of Uvaria rufa and Their Cytotoxic Activity

Four new adjacent bis-tetrahydrofuran acetogenins, bullacin C (

Cannabidiol Inhibits Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Role of Gut Microbiome

Epithelial ovarian cancer is among the deadliest gynecological tumors worldwide. Clinical treatment usually consists of surgery and adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapies. Due to the high rate of recurrence and rapid development of drug resistance, the current focus of research is on finding effective natural products with minimal toxic side effects for treating epithelial ovarian tumors. Cannabidiol is among the most abundant cannabinoids and has a non-psychoactive effect compared to tetrahydrocannabinol, which is a key advantage for clinical application. Studies have shown that cannabidiol has antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, cytotoxic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. However, its therapeutic value for epithelial ovarian tumors remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of cannabidiol on epithelial ovarian tumors and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that cannabidiol has a significant inhibitory effect on epithelial ovarian tumors.

Tabersonine Enhances Olaparib Sensitivity through FHL1-Mediated Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in an Ovarian Tumor

Ovarian cancer (OVC) is one of the most aggressive gynecological malignancies worldwide. Although olaparib treatment has shown favorable outcomes against the treatment of OVC, its effectiveness remains limited in some OVC patients. Investigating new strategies to improve the therapeutic efficacy of olaparib against OVC is imperative. Our study identified tabersonine, a natural indole alkaloid, for its potential to increase the chemosensitivity of olaparib in OVC. The combined treatment of olaparib and tabersonine synergistically inhibited cell proliferation in OVC cells and suppressed tumor growth in A2780 xenografts. The combined treatment effectively suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by altering the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin and induced DNA damage responses. Integrating quantitative proteomics, FHL1 was identified as a potential regulator to modulate EMT after tabersonine treatment. Increased expression of FHL1 was induced by tabersonine treatment, while downregulation of FHL1 reversed the inhibitory effects of tabersonine on OVC cells by mediating EMT.

Probing the Cytotoxic Signaling Induced by Eupenifeldin in Ovarian Cancer Models

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and lethal ovarian cancer histotype. Lack of early detection methods, limited therapeutic agents, and low 5-year survival rate reflect the urgent need to develop new therapies. Eupenifeldin, a bistropolone, originally isolated from

Embellicines C-E: Macrocyclic Alkaloids with a Cyclopenta[b]fluorene Ring System from the Fungus Sarocladium sp.

Macrocyclic alkaloids with a cyclopenta[b]fluorene ring system are a relatively young structural class of fungal metabolites, with the first members reported in 2013. Bioassay-guided fractionation of a

The Cytotoxic Cardiac Glycoside (−)-Cryptanoside A from the Stems ofCryptolepis dubiaand Its Molecular Targets

A cardiac glycoside epoxide, (-)-cryptanoside A (

Activity of Didesmethylrocaglamide in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Using Preclinical In Vitro and In Vivo Models

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most lethal gynecological cause of death in women and requires new treatments to help tackle chemoresistance. Rocaglamides, a promising class of anticancer natural products, function as protein translation inhibitors and trigger apoptosis in other types of solid tumors. Didesmethylrocaglamide ((±)-DDR), a derivative of rocaglamide with potent antitumor activity, was synthesized, including three additional rocaglamide derivatives, (±)-DDR01, (±)-DDR03, and (±)-DDR04, to evaluate their cytotoxicity in HGSOC. Using in vitro models, it was determined that (±)-DDR induced cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer cell lines as early as 24 h after application and activated caspase-3, indicating pro-apoptotic activity. In addition, (±)-DDR was cytotoxic in the PE04 and MCF7-ADR (OVCAR8-RES) cell lines that are resistant to cisplatin and paclitaxel, respectively. Evaluation of each enantiomer revealed the minus enantiomer to be ∼18-fold more potent compared to the plus enantiomer in the OVCAR8 cell line. (-)-DDR was further evaluated using an OVCAR8 xenograft model in mice, and a reduction in tumor burden was observed. Its effective cytotoxicity in drug-sensitive and -resistant cell models suggests that (±)-DDR and its corresponding minus enantiomer may have potential as a new therapeutic strategy against HGSOC.

Antiproliferative Flavanoid Dimers Isolated from Brazilian Red Propolis

Herein reported are results of the chemical and biological investigation of red propolis collected at the Brazilian Northeast coastline. New propolones A-D (

The Marine Natural Product Manzamine A Inhibits Cervical Cancer by Targeting the SIX1 Protein

Natural products remain an important source of drug leads covering unique chemical space and providing significant therapeutic value for the control of cancer and infectious diseases resistant to current drugs. Here, we determined the antiproliferative activity of a natural product manzamine A (