Photochemotherapy using natural anthraquinones: rubiadin and Soranjidiol sensitize human cancer cell to die by apoptosis

NATALIA BELÉN RUMIE VITTAR; LAURA COMINI; IVANA M. FERNANDEZ; ELIZABETH AGOSTINI; SUSANA C. NÚÑEZ MONYA; JOSÉ L. CABRERA; VIVIANA A. RIVAROLA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 11 p. 182 - 182

ver the past decade the science has studied synthetic photosensitizers used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photochemotherapy as anticancer candidates. In this context, compounds extracted from vegetable species present interesting potential in the cancer field. In our laboratory, we studied Heterophyllaea pustulata a phototoxic shrub that habit the northwest of Argentina. From this vegetal, by in vitro germination, we obtained Rubiadin and Soranjidiol, two anthraquinones that exhibited significant photocytotoxicity on human cancer cells. In addition, the fraction obtained from callus cultures allowed us to get a satisfactory content of these compounds compared to those found from the original plant. Under PDT regimen, we found that cell destruction resulted in a dose-dependent manner and occasioned apoptosis on photosensitized cells. Biochemical analysis revealed the involvement of caspase-3, PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation in Rubiadin induced apoptosis. Moreover, Soranjidiol-PD