LAUSR

BACKGROUND The increase in cancer rate and the development of resistant tumors require the continuous search for new anticancer agents. AIM This study aimed to analyze and identify the chemical constituents of Anisosciadium lanatum, and to investigate the antiproliferative activity of the identified constituents against various human cell lines (HepG2, MCF7, HT29, A549, and PC3) along with the possible molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS The structure of the isolated compounds was determined by spectroscopic techniques including HR-FABMS, GC-MS, IR, and 400 MHz 1D and 2D NMR analyses (1H, 13C NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY). The antiproliferative activity and IC50 of the isolated compounds were measured and compared to doxorubicin. RESULTS A new guaiane sesquiterpene containing a rare endoperoxide structural element, 10β,11β-epoxy-1α,4β,5β,7αH-guaiane-9-one, anisosciadone (1), and stigmasterol (2) have been isolated from the plant. Anisosciadone (1) showed a significant antiproliferative activity against liver, colon, and lung cells only, while stigmasterol (2) had a significant activity against liver, colon, and breast cells. Both 1 and 2 caused no cytotoxicity to normal fibroblasts. Anisosciadone elevated the expression and activity of Caspase 3 as well as p53 expression without affecting Caspase 9 in HepG2 cells. It also caused ~ 50% downregulation in cdk1 expression. CONCLUSION Taken together, anisosciadone was specific in action against cancer cells and induced apoptosis in liver cells. It also has a unique feature by elevating the expression and activity of Caspase 3 without affecting the initiator Caspase 9. Therefore, anisosciadone deserves more investigation as a targeted therapy for cancer.