Target Separation and Potential Anticancer Activity of Withanolide-Based Glucose Transporter Protein 1 Inhibitors from Physalis angulata var. villosa

J Nat Prod. 2024 Jan 26;87(1):2-13. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00613. Epub 2023 Dec 20.

Abstract

The glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) protein is involved in the basal-level absorption of glucose in tumor cells. Inhibiting GLUT1 decreases tumor cell proliferation and induces tumor cell damage. Natural GLUT1 inhibitors have been studied only to a small extent, and the structures of known natural GLUT1 inhibitors are limited to a few classes of natural products. Therefore, discovering and researching other natural GLUT1 inhibitors with novel scaffolds are essential. Physalis angulata L. var. villosa is a plant known as Mao-Ku-Zhi (MKZ). Withanolides are the main phytochemical components of MKZ. MKZ extracts and the components of MKZ exhibited antitumor activity in recent pharmacological studies. However, the antitumor-active components of MKZ and their molecular mechanisms remain unknown. A cell membrane-biomimetic nanoplatform (CM@Fe3O4/MIL-101) was used for target separation of potential GLUT1 inhibitors from MKZ. A new withanolide, physagulide Y (2), together with six known withanolides (1, 3-7), was identified as a potential GLUT1 inhibitor. Physagulide Y was the most potent GLUT1 inhibitor, and its antitumor activity and possible mechanism of action were explored in MCF-7 human cancer cells. These findings advance the development of technologies for the targeted separation of natural products and identify a new molecular framework for the investigation of natural GLUT1 inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic* / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic* / pharmacology
  • Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Humans
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Molecular Structure
  • Physalis* / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Withanolides* / chemistry
  • Withanolides* / pharmacology

Substances

  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative
  • Plant Extracts
  • Withanolides
  • Membrane Transport Proteins