Viability-reducing activity of Coryllus avellana L. extracts against human cancer cell lines

Abstract

The increasing rate of cancer incidence has encouraged the search for novel natural sources of anticancer compounds. The presence of small quantities of taxol and taxanes in Corylus avellana L. has impelled new potential applications for this plant in the field of biomedicine. In the present work, the cell viability-reducing activity of stems and leaves from three different hazel trees was studiedagainst three human-derived cancer cell lines (HeLa, HepG2 and MCF-7). Both leaf and stem extracts significantly reduced viability of the three cell lines either after maceration with methanol or using taxane extraction methods. Since maceration reduced cell viability to a greater extent than taxane extraction methods, we scaled up the maceration extraction process using a method for solid/liquid extraction (Zippertex technology). Methanol leaf extracts promoted a higher reduction in viability of all cell lines assayed than stem extracts. Fractionation of methanol leaf extracts using silica gel chormatography led to the purification and identification of two compounds by HPLC-MS and NMR: (3R,5R)-3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) heptane 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside. The isolated compounds decreased viability of HeLa and HepG2 cells to a greater extent than MCF-7 cells. Our results suggest a potential use of C. avellana extracts in the pharmacotherapy of cervical cancer and hepatocarcinoma and, to a lesser extent, breast cancer.

Plant Specialized Metabolites in Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) Kernel and Byproducts: An Update on Chemistry, Biological Activity, and Analytical Aspects

“…Kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin glycosides showed the sugar portion linked to C-3 of the aglycones. Quercetin 3-rhamnoside (32) and myricetin 3-rhamnoside (33) were detected in kernels, shells, leaves, and bark [18,21,22,25] with quercetin 3-rhamnoside (32) also reported in the skins [24], kaempferol 3-rhamnoside (34) in leaves and barks [21,22], quercetin-3-glucoside (35) in kernels and leaves [17,26], and kaempferol 3-glucoside (36) only in kernels [27]. Hyperoside (37) was isolated in the hazelnut leaves [28] and rutin (38) was described in kernels and shells [18,23].…”

“…Hazelnut leaves represent a source of diarylheptanoids. The first report of linear diarylheptanoids focused on the identification of 11,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-4-hepten-3-one (hirsutenone) (62), 1,7-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,6-heptadien-3-one (63), 5-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)heptan-3-one (64), 5-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-(4-hy-droxyphenyl)-heptan-3-one (65), 7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-4hepten-3-one-hexoside, 1,7-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,6-heptadien-3-one-hexoside, and 1,7-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-hepten-3one-hexoside [22], the latest tentatively identified by MS. A further linear diarylheptanoid, (3R,5R)-3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-phenyl) heptane 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (66), was isolated in the hazelnut leaves [35].…”

“…Thus phenolic compounds of hazelnut leaves of 10 different cultivars developed under the same cultural, geographical, geological, and climatic conditions were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS. Eight phenolic compounds, 3-caffeoylquinic acid (21), 5-caffeoylquinic acid (23), p-coumaroyltartaric acid (24), caffeoyltartaric acid (25), quercetin 3-rhamnoside (32), myricetin 3-rhamnoside (33), kaempferol 3-rhamnoside (34), and quercetin 3-glucoside (35) were identified and quantified. All of the analyzed samples showed a similar phenolic profile, in which quercetin 3-rhamnoside (32) and myricetin 3-rhamnoside (33) were the major compounds [26].…”

“…leaf and stem extracts of 3 different Spanish hazel trees significantly reduced viability of the 3 human derived cancer cell lines (HeLa; liver hepatocellular cells, HepG2; human breast adenocarcinoma cell, MCF-7)[35]. Among the 2 tested extraction methods, the maceration with methanol reduced cell viability to a greater extent than taxane extraction methods and in particular methanol leaf extracts promoted a higher reduction in viability of all cell lines assayed than stem extracts.…”

Characterization of diarylheptanoids: An emerging class of bioactive natural products

“…Additionally, the extracts from PLE showed a different composition compared to Soxhlet extraction, the recovery of diarylheptanoids was significantly improved [53]. Common hazel (Corylus avellana) stems and leaves were extracted by a solid/liquid extraction method, using a solvent system accelerated with static pressurization (Zippertex technology) [54].…”