Safranal Inhibits HeLa Cell Viability by Perturbing the Reassembly Potential of Microtubules

Abstract

Saffron, a spice from Crocus sativus, has been known for its health benefits and medicinal properties. Safranal is a component of saffron and is known for its antioxidant and anticancer properties. In this study, we elucidated a possible tubulin-targeted antiproliferative mechanism of action of safranal. In vitro, the compound perturbed secondary structure of tubulin without altering net microtubule polymer mass. It inhibited HeLa cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, with minimal damage to cellular microtubules. However, it strongly inhibited recovery of microtubule network after cold-induced disassembly, indicating its ability to interfere with the nucleation potential of tubulin. Further, as the acetylation pattern of the safranal-treated microtubules revealed, unlike many tubulin-targeted agents, the compound did not appear to induce persistent stabilization of microtubules. Our data shows an unusual, tubulin-targeted antiproliferative mechanism of safranal. Copyright

The function of histone acetylation in cervical cancer development

“…As we know acetylation of tubulin can reduce its nucleation potential [93], safranal, a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, does not induce tubulin acetylation but disrupts the secondary structure of tubulin. It inhibits HeLa cell viability depending on concentration, with minimal damage to cellular microtubules [94]. The mitotic kinesin Eg5 is a member of the kinesin superfamily.…”

Microtubules: From understanding their dynamics to using them as potential therapeutic targets

“…It perturbs the secondary construction of tubulin without altering net MT polymer mass. It inhibits HeLa cell viability with minimal damage to cellular MT, and inhibits MT network recovery after cold-induced disassembly suggesting that it can restrict tubulin nucleation potential, but did not induce persistent MT stabilization (Cheriyamundath, Choudhary, & Lopus, 2018). Translating the extensive knowledge gained over the last decade on MT structure, dynamics, and function for use of MT as therapeutic targets is mainly being done in cancer research.…”

“…It perturbs the secondary construction of tubulin without altering net MT polymer mass. It inhibits HeLa cell viability with minimal damage to cellular MT, and inhibits MT network recovery after cold‐induced disassembly suggesting that it can restrict tubulin nucleation potential, but did not induce persistent MT stabilization (Cheriyamundath, Choudhary, & Lopus, ).…”

Safrana l Prevents Prostate Cancer Recurrence by Blocking the Re-activation of Quiescent Cancer Cells via Downregulation of S-Phase Kinase-Associated Protein 2

“…Saffron, an age-old spice from the plant Crocus sativus L., is therapeutically valued in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine systems (Bhandari, 2015). Increasing evidence has established that safranal, a monoterpene aldehyde isolated from C. sativus (Tarantilis et al, 1994), exerts anticancer activities on various human malignancies (Samarghandian and Shabestari, 2013;Geromichalos et al, 2014;Samarghandian et al, 2014;Jabini et al, 2017;Al-Hrout et al, 2018;Cheriyamundath et al, 2018). However, the underlying antitumor mechanism of safranal relating to QCCs and cancer recurrence has not been established.…”