Sappanchalcone

Inhibitory activities of Lignum Sappan extractives on growth and growth-related signaling of tumor cells.[Pubmed:25156286]

Chin J Nat Med. 2014 Aug;12(8):607-12.

AIM: To investigate the active constituents of Lignum Sappan (Caesalpinia sappan L.) on growth-related signaling and cell mitosis. METHOD: The influence of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of Lignum Sappan and its constituents on growth-related signaling were evaluated by a luciferase assay in cells stably-transfected with NF-kappaB, STAT1, or STAT3 responsive luciferase reporter plasmid. The inhibitory effect on the cell cycle was determined by flow cytometric analysis. The anti-tumor activities were assessed in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The EtOAc extract of Lignum Sappan had inhibitory activities on growth-related signaling and cell mitosis. Three major active compounds were Sappanchalcone, brazilin, and butein. Sappanchalcone blocked cell cycle progression in the G2/M phase, brazilin inhibited TNFalpha/NF-kappaB signaling, while butein inhibited IL-6/STAT3 signaling, as well as TNFalpha/NF-kappaB signaling. The three compounds all demonstrated cytotoxic activities against human tumor cells in vitro. In a S180 tumor cell-bearing mice model, the anti-tumor efficacy of the EtOAc extract was better than the individual compounds acting alone. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that Lignum Sappan contains multiple active compounds with different antitumor activities, which act synergistically to enhance their anti-tumor effects. The EtOAc extract of Lignum Sappan may be better than individual active constituent as a novel medicine for the treatment of cancer.

Effects of sappanchalcone on the cytoprotection and anti-inflammation via heme oxygenase-1 in human pulp and periodontal ligament cells.[Pubmed:20621084]

Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 Oct 10;644(1-3):230-7.

Sappanchalcone has been demonstrated to possess several biological effects. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these effects is not fully understood. In this study, we examined the effects of Sappanchalcone on hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced cytotoxicity using human dental pulp (HDP) cells, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation using human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells. Sappanchalone concentration proportionately increased heme oxygenase (HO)-1 protein expression and enzyme activity in both HDP and HPDL cells. It also protected HDP cells from H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species production. The cytoprotective effect of Sappanchalcone was nullified by HO-1 inhibitor, Tin protoporphyrin (SnPP). Sappanchalcone is seen to inhibit LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), interlukine-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interlukine-6 (IL-6) and interlukine-12 (IL-12) release in addition to inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in HPDL cells. SnPP, a specific inhibitor of HO-1, partly blocked Sappanchalcone mediated suppression of inflammatory mediator production, in LPS-stimulated HPDL cells. HDP and HPDL cells treated with Sappanchalcone exhibited the transient activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). The expression of HO-1 protein by Sappanchalcone was significantly reduced by pretreatment with JNK inhibitor. In conclusion, induction of HO-1 is an important cytoprotective mechanism by which Sappanchalcone protects HDP cells from H(2)O(2) and in addition it also exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated HPDL cells. Thus, Sappanchalcone could potentially be a therapeutic approach for periodontal, pulpal and periapical inflammatory lesion.

Anti-inflammatory activity of sappanchalcone isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L. in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model.[Pubmed:25586964]

Arch Pharm Res. 2015 Jun;38(6):973-83.

Sappanchalcone, a bioactive flavonoid isolated from the heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan L. possesses anti-inflammatory effects. We studied the efficacy of Sappanchalcone in attenuating collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. Sappanchalcone was purified to homogeneity from the chloroform fraction of the methanolic extract of C. sappan, and identified using mass spectrometry and (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. CIA-induced male DBA/1J mice were divided into control, Sappanchalcone-treated, and methotrexate-treated groups (n = 10 per group). Paw swelling, arthritis severity, radiographic and histomorphometric changes were assessed to measure the protective role of Sappanchalcone against chronic disease progression. Sappanchalcone administration significantly reduced clinical arthritis and inflammatory edema in paws. Bone mineral density and trabecular structure were maintained in CIA mice administered Sappanchalcone. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and 1L-1beta) were significantly lower in the serum of Sappanchalcone-treated mice as compared with the control group. Our results suggest that Sappanchalcone could be used as an anti-inflammatory and bone-protective agent during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Mechanism of sappanchalcone-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.[Pubmed:21963806]

Toxicol In Vitro. 2011 Dec;25(8):1782-8.

Sappanchalcone, a flavonoid extracted from Caesalpinia sappan, exhibits cytoprotective activity, but the molecular basis for the anticancer effect of Sappanchalcone has not been reported. In this study, we examined whether Sappanchalcone could inhibit the growth of human primary and metastatic oral cancer cells, and we analyzed the signaling pathway underlying the apoptotic effects of the compound in this process using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and Western blotting. Sappanchalcone-treated oral cancer cells showed an increased cytosolic level of cytochrome c, downregulated Bcl-2 expression, upregulated Bax and p53 expression, caspase-3 and -9 activation, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Furthermore, Sappanchalcone induced activation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK), and Nuclear factor k B (NF-kappaB), as demonstrated by the phosphorylation of each mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), the degradation of inhibitor of NF-kappaalpha (IkappaB-alpha), increased expression of nuclear p65, and NF-kappaB-DNA binding. Inhibition of the expression of p38, ERK, JNK, and NF-kappaB by pharmacological inhibitors reversed Sappanchalcone-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis. These results provide the first evidence that Sappanchalcone suppresses oral cancer cell growth and induces apoptosis through the activation of p53-dependent mitochondrial, p38, ERK, JNK, and NF-kappaB signaling. Thus, it has potential as a chemotherapeutic agent for oral cancer.