Metasequoia glyptostroboides potentiates anticancer effect against cervical cancer via intrinsic apoptosis pathway

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 13;11(1):894. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-79573-8.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the anticancer effects of organic extracts derived from the floral cones of Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Dried powder of M. glyptostroboides floral cones was subjected to methanol extraction, and the resulting extract was further partitioned by liquid-liquid extraction using the organic solvents n-hexane, dichloromethane (DME), chloroform, and ethyl acetate in addition to deionized water. HeLa cervical and COS-7 cells were used as a cancer cell model and normal cell control, respectively. The anticancer effect was evaluated by using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The viability of COS-7 cells was found to be 12-fold higher than that of the HeLa cells under the administration of 50 µg/ml of the DME extract. Further, the sub-G1 population was determined by FACS analysis. The number of cells at the sub-G1 phase, which indicates apoptotic cells, was increased approximately fourfold upon treatment with the DME and CE extracts compared with that in the negative control. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to quantitate the relative RNA and protein levels of the cell death pathway components, respectively. Our results suggest that the extracts of M. glyptostroboides floral cones, especially the DME extract, which possesses several anticancer components, as determined by GC-MS analysis, could a potential natural anticancer agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • COS Cells
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cupressaceae / metabolism*
  • Female
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Leaves / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Plant Extracts
  • Solvents