Anticancer activity and phytochemical composition of wild Gundelia�tournefortii

Abstract

Artichoke-like wild thistles are often used in Palestinian cuisine. One of the most commercially recognized species of these wild edible thistles is Gundelia tournefortii, a common plant in the Mediterranean region. G. tournefortii, or 'Akoob' in Arabic, remains uncultivated, harvested wild by local populations and considered highly valuable due to its reputed health benefits. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of G. tournefortii on the human colon carcinoma HCT-116 cell line. Methanol and hexane extracts were identified to exert considerable antitumor activity against the HCT-116 cancer cell line, while the aqueous extract was inactive. The phytochemical profiles of the methanol and hexane extracts were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 6 of the 27 natural compounds identified, including sitosterol, stigmasterol, lupeol, gitoxigenin, α-amyrin and artemisinin, have been previously validated as being active against cancerous cells. Therefore, the presence of these phytochemicals in G. tournefortii is of importance in its role in preventing and treating cancer.

Phytochemicals Targeting VEGF and VEGF-Related Multifactors as Anticancer Therapy

“…Stigmasterol inhibits angiogenesis through the VEGF signaling network. It reduces the phosphorylation form of FAK, PCL, SRC, and VEGFR2 and inhibits endothelial cell proliferation and migration as well as well capillary network formation through disruption of the TNF–VEGFR2 axis [122].…”

“…Stigmasterol was shown to exhibit antiangiogenic activity through inhibiting TNF-α. Recently, it was revealed that Gundelia tournefortii , a rich source of stigmasterol, affects angiogenesis through disruption of the TNF–VEGFR2 axis [122]. Therefore, the compelling data above reveal new insights and suggestions about the use of natural products and their derivatives against different oncogenic targets.…”

Nonthermal plasma‐activated water: A comprehensive review of this new tool for enhanced food safety and quality

“…Antioxidants are natural substances that have health‐promoting properties, such as reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease (Griffiths et al., 2016; Munir, Chandrasekaran, Gao, & Quon, 2013) and Alzheimer's disease (Hiremathad, 2017; Hiremathad & Piemontese, 2017) as well as anticancer activities (Griffiths et al., 2016; T. T. Zhao et al., 2019). It could be attributed to their redox properties, which include potential mechanisms, such as free‐radical scavenging activity (Abu‐Lafi, Rayan, Kadan, Abu‐Lafi, & Rayan, 2019; Morita, Naito, Niki, & Yoshikawa, 2017), transition metal‐chelating activity (Lu et al., 2010), and 1 O 2 quenching capacity (Terao, Minami, & Bando, 2010). In addition, antioxidants reportedly have a protective effect against food deterioration by ROS and RNS during plasma treatment (Garofulić et al., 2015).…”

Correlation between Antibacterial Activity and Free-Radical Scavenging: In-Vitro Evaluation of Polar/Non-Polar Extracts from 25 Plants

“…Palestine possesses a wide array of biodiversity, despite its limited area [8]. Although exploration for medicinal plants from Palestine for their antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits has improved over the last decade, a huge number of medicinal plants remain to be investigated [9,10]. Certain wild plants have acquired a reputation among Palestinians, since they are an integral component of the culture.…”