Natural products represent the source or the inspiration for the majority of the active ingredients of medicines because of their structural diversity and a wide range of biological effects. Our aims in this study were (i) to synthesize enzymatically salidroside (SAL), the most effective phenylethanoid glycoside in Rhodiola species; (ii) to examine its antioxidant capacity using cell-free assays (reducing power, DPPH radicals scavenging and Fe2+ -chelating assays); (iii) to assess its DNA-protective potential on plasmid DNA (DNA topology assay) and in HepG2 cells (comet assay) damaged by Fe2+ ions and hydrogen peroxide, respectively; and (iv) to investigate the effects of SAL, cisplatin (CDDP) and combined treatments of SAL + CDDP on cell viability (MTT test), level of DNA damage (comet assay), proliferation, cell cycle (flow cytometry) and the expression of signalling molecules associated with cell growth and apoptotic pathways (Western immunoblotting). We found out that SAL manifested low antioxidant and DNA-protective capacity in all assays used. In both parental A2780 and CDDP-resistant A2780/CP human ovarian carcinoma cells, SAL itself exerted in fact no impact on the viability, while in combination with CDDP it showed antagonistic effect supporting the chemopreventive activity on the CDDP-induced cell damage. These results were confirmed by the partial reversal of the cell cycle alterations and the DNA damage level, as well as with partial restoration of cell survival/signalling pathways, when the expression of these molecules partially returned to their proper levels.
© 2017 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).