Anti-melanoma potential of two benzoquinone homologues embelin and rapanone - a comparative in vitro study.
Rapanone and embelin are simple alkyl benzoquinone derivatives, mainly distributed in the Primulaceae. They have an interesting scope of biological activities including cytotoxicity. As melanoma is one of the most common types of cancer, in many cases resistant to current treatment regimens, the aim of this study was to assess and compare anti-melanoma activity of the two benzoquinones. Cytotoxicity of both compounds towards different melanoma cell lines (A375, HTB140, WM793) and selectivity with respect to normal keratinocytes (HaCaT) were investigated. Furthermore, interactions with a reference chemotherapeutic, doxorubicine, were assessed. Finally, analysis of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities of both benzoquinones was conducted as well. Rapanone showed selective and higher than doxorubicine cytotoxic potential against primary melanoma cell line, WM793. Although embelin was also highly cytotoxic, its selectivity was much poorer. Interestingly, in case of HTB140 and HaCaT cell lines a combination of each benzoquinone with doxorubicine potentiated the cytotoxic potential in a synergistic manner. Embelin revealed higher albumin anti-denaturation potential than rapanone but lower than diclofenac sodium. Anti-hyaluronidase effect of both benzoquinones was higher than quercetin. Both compounds showed antioxidant potential although significantly lower as compared to vitamin C. Finally, neither embelin nor rapanone had any inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.
['Wróbel-Biedrawa|Dagmara|D|', 'Grabowska|Karolina|K|', 'Galanty|Agnieszka|A|', 'Sobolewska|Danuta|D|', 'Żmudzki|Paweł|P|', 'Podolak|Irma|I|']
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic D000975:Antioxidants D016227:Benzoquinones D001713:Biphenyl Compounds D002460:Cell Line D002470:Cell Survival D006801:Humans D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase D008545:Melanoma D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase D010851:Picrates D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine
Anti-melanoma Embelin Rapanone Cytotoxicity Anti-denaturation Anti-hyaluronidase