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Teff (Eragrostis tef), a gluten-free cereal crop cultivated originally in Northeast Africa, is increasingly utilized due to its nutritional and health benefits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ethanol extract obtained from raw and thermally treated teff, referred to as RTE and TTE, respectively, on uncontrolled growth and activated metastasis using human cancer cell lines. Both RTE and TTE contained flavones, such as orientin (luteolin 8-C-glucoside) and vitexin (apigenin 8-C-glucoside), and phenolic acids, such as protocatechuic acid and p-coumaric acid. TTE showed higher total phenol, protocatechuic acid, and p-coumaric acid contents, but lower orientin content compared to RTE. RTE and TTE significantly suppressed cell growth of H1299 human lung cancer cells, with TTE exhibiting more pronounced effects than RTE, while both extracts had only minimal effects on the growth of non-malignant human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The growth-inhibitory activities of RTE and TTE in H1299 cells were associated with apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. TTE produced an additional effect on inducing cell cycle arrest at the S phase in H1299 cells, potentially contributing to its stronger growth-inhibitory effects. Moreover, both RTE and TTE effectively inhibited key events in metastasis, such as invasion, migration, and adhesion, in H1299 cells under non-cytotoxic conditions, with TTE showing stronger effects. In HCT116 human colon cancer cells, a similar pattern of inhibition was demonstrated against the metastatic events, accompanied by reduced levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9. Our results indicate that teff extracts exhibit in vitro anti-growth and anti-metastatic activities, which are enhanced by thermal treatment of teff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four sesquiterpenoids were isolated from an ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of A. princeps ethanolic extract: seco-tanapartholide B (5-epi-seco-tanapartholide A) (1), 4-epi-seco-tanapartholide A (2), 11,13-dehydrodesacetylmatricarin (3) and desacetylmatricarin (4). Compounds 1 − 3 dose-dependently inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages. These compounds also decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 as well as mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, compound 3 effectively enhanced the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in macrophages in the presence or absence of LPS. Additionally, the exocyclic methylene of α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety of compound 3 was found to be essential for the activation of the NF erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/HO-1 pathway. Here, we firstly report the isolation of compounds 3 and 4 from A. princeps and the anti-inflammatory activity of compound 3 by up-regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A germacranolide sesquiterpene lactone, 2α,5-epoxy-5,10-dihydroxy-6α-angeloyloxy-9[beta- (3methylbutyloxy)germacran-8α,12-olide (EDAG), isolated from Carpesium triste var. manshuricum, showed inhibitory activity in the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA and protein in LPS-activated macrophage cells. Molecular analysis reveals that these suppressive effects are correlated with the inhibition of NF-κB activation by EDAG. Immunoblotting showed that EDAG suppressed the LPS-induced degradation of I-κBα and decreased nuclear translocation of p65. Futhermore, EDAG showed reduced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, whereas activation of JNK was not changed. These data suggest, at least in part, that EDAG utilizes the signal cascades of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB for the suppression of iNOS gene expression. Key words: nitric oxide, germacranolide sesquiterpene lactone, Carpesium triste var. manshuricum, nuclear factor κB, macrophage, inflammation, inducible nitric oxide synthase. Un sesquiterpene lactone de type germacranolide, 2α,5-epoxy-5,10-dihydroxy-6 α-angeloyloxy9β-(3- methylbutyloxy)-germacran-8α,12-olide (EDAG), isole de Carpesium triste var. manshuricum, a montre une activite inhibitrice sur la production du monoxyde d'azote (NO) et l'expression de la proteine et de l'ARNm de la monoxyde d'azote synthase inductible (iNOS) dans les macrophages actives par des LPS. L'analyse moleculaire revele que ces effets suppresseurs sont correles avec l'inhibition de l'activation du NF-κB par l'EDAG. L'immunobuvardage a montre que l'EDAG a supprime la degradation induite par les LPS de la proteine I-κBα et diminue la translocation nucleeaire de la sous-unite p65. De plus, l'EDAG a diminue la phosphorylation de ERK1/2 et de la p38 MAPK, mais n'a pas modifie l'activation de la JNK. Ces resultats laissent a penser, du moins en partie, que l'EDAG utilise les cascades de signaux ERK1/2, p38 MAPK et NF-κB pour supprimer l'expression geenique de iNOS. Mots-cles: monoxyde d'azote, sesquiterpene lactone de type germacranolide, Carpesium triste var. manshuricum, facteur nucleaire κB, macrophage, inflammation, monoxyde d'azote synthase inductible. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Nitric oxide (NO), a short-lived free radical, is an important inflammatory mediator that plays a critical role in patho-physiological conditions. NO is synthesized from L-arginine in various tissues and [...]