Anticancer Activity and Molecular Targets of Piper cernuum Substances in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a worldwide public health problem, with high morbidity and mortality rates. The development of new drugs to treat OSCC is paramount. Piper plant species have shown many biological activities. In the present study, we show that dichloromethane partition of Piper cernuum (PCLd) is nontoxic in chronic treatment in mice, reduces the amount of atypia in tongues of chemically induced OSCC, and significantly increases animal survival. To identify the main active compounds, chromatographic purification of PCLd was performed, where fractions 09.07 and 14.05 were the most active and selective. These fractions promoted cell death by apoptosis characterized by phosphatidyl serine exposition, DNA fragmentation, and activation of effector caspase-3/7 and were nonhemolytic. LC–DAD–MS/MS analysis did not propose matching spectra for the 09.07 fraction, suggesting compounds not yet known. However, aporphine alkaloids were annotated in fraction 14.05, which are being described for the first time in P. cernuum and corroborate the observed cytotoxic activity. Putative molecular targets were determined for these alkaloids, in silico, where the androgen receptor (AR), CHK1, CK2, DYRK1A, EHMT2, LXRβ, and VEGFR2 were the most relevant. The results obtained from P. cernuum fractions point to promising compounds as new preclinical anticancer candidates.

Isocorydine Exerts Anticancer Activity by Disrupting the Energy Metabolism and Filamentous Actin Structures of Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells

“…Isocorydine (ICD) is an aporphine alkaloid that is found in 20 families and more than 100 plant genera, exhibiting excellent biological activity and therapeutic potential [15,16]. ICD has antiarrhythmic [17], antibacterial [18], antiulcer [19], antitumor [20], antiplasmodium, and antioxidant properties [21]. Furthermore, it has been reported to inhibit the proliferation of various tumor cell lines, such as the cell lines of liver cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and cervical cancer [15,22].…”