Percorrer por autor "Beeby, Ellie"
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- Cytotoxic effects of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris phytoproducts in cancer cellsPublication . Beeby, Ellie; Magalhães, Mariana; Lemos, Marco F. L.; Pires, Isabel M.; Cabral, CéliaEthnopharmacological relevance: The past few years have witnessed an increasing interest in essential oils (EOs) as potential therapeutic agents against a wide variety of pathologies, including cancer. EOs extracted from Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris (R. segetum) are a clear example of a phytoproduct with therapeutic applications, as it is widely used in traditional medicine due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and these properties were already validated by previous studies. Although, it is well established that inflammation is a key hallmark of cancer, with a key role promoting tumorigenesis, and being chronic inflammation often associated with tumorigenic processes, there are no previous studies regarding the assessment of the antitumoural potential of R. segetum EOs. Aim of the study: The present study intends to be the first to evaluate the antitumoural proprieties of R. segetum EO phytoproducts in cancer cell models. Materials and methods: For this, R. segetum EOs were extracted from plants collected at either flowering (RS_Fl) or fruiting (RS_Fr) stage. The impact on proliferation and viability of treatment with R. segetum EO extracts was assessed using in vitro 2D and 3D models. Results: Both R. segetum EOs presented effective antiproliferative/viability effects, evidence noted by low IC50 values in 2D models, and significant reduction of spheroid size in 3D in vitro models. Mechanistically, treatment with R. segetum EOs was associated with an altered G1 (associated with p21 stabilisation), and subsequent induction of apoptosis. Conclusions: Overall, these results indicate that R. segetum EOs have potential as suitable antitumoural therapeutic agents.
- Secondary metabolites (essential oils) from sand-dune plants induce cytotoxic effects in cancer cellsPublication . Beeby, Ellie; Magalhães, Mariana; Poças, Juliana; Collins, Thomas; Lemos, Marco F.L.; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Cabral, Célia; Pires, Isabel M.Ethnopharmacological relevance: Despite advances in modern therapeutic strategies, cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore, there is a constant need to develop more efficient anticancer targeting strategies. The anticancer therapeutic proprieties of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds have been reported for several years, making natural extracts and/or compounds derived from these a promising source of novel anticancer agents. Sand dune plants are subjected to severe environmental stresses, leading to the development of adaptations, including the production of secondary metabolites with a wide range of bioactivities, such as: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, antinociceptive, antioxidant and anticancer. Aim of the study: The anticancer potential of sand dune plants remains under-investigated, so this research describes the characterisation of the composition of bioactive EOs from sand-dune plants of Peniche (Portugal), and assessment of their activity in vitro and potential mechanism of action. Materials and methods: EOs were extracted from six sand-dune species of plants from Peniche sand dunes: Crithmum maritimum L., Seseli tortuosum L., Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (DC.) Arcang., Juniperus phoenicea var. turbinata (Guss.) Parl., Otanthus maritimus (L.) Hoffmanns. & Link, and Eryngium maritimum L.. EOs composition was fully characterised chemically using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The assessment of anticancer activity and mechanism of action was performed in vitro using breast and colorectal cancer 2D and 3D spheroid cell line models, through cell proliferation assay, western blotting analysis, and cell cycle analysis. Results: EOs from the majority of the species tested (S. tortuosum, A. campestris subsp. maritima, O. maritimus, and E. maritimum) were mainly composed by hydrocarbon compounds (sequisterpenes and monoterpenes), showing antiproliferative activity in both 2D and 3D models. EO extracted from S. tortuosum and O. maritimus were identified as having the lowest IC50 values for both cell lines when compared with the other species tested. Furthermore, this antiproliferative activity was associated with increased p21 expression and induction of apoptosis. Conclusions: The present study suggests that EOs extracted from S. tortuosum and O. maritimus present promising cytotoxic properties. Further evaluation of the extracts and their key components as potential anticancer agents should therefore be explored.