Artepillin C and Other Herbal PAK1‐blockers: Effects on Hair Cell Proliferation and Related PAK1‐dependent Biological Function in Cell Culture

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 120 - 127
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Binh Cao Quan, Taira, Nozomi, Maruta, Hiroshi, Tawata, Shinkichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Heyden & Son 01.01.2016; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Alpinia - chemistry; Alpinia zerumbet; Animals; antineoplastic activity; artepillin C; Brazil; cell culture; Cell Line, Tumor; cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; cucurbitacin; curcumin; growth retardation; Hair Follicle - cytology; Hair Follicle - drug effects; hair follicles; hair growth; hispidin; human growth; Humans; ingredients; inhibitory concentration 50; Lim Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; lung neoplasms; Melanins - biosynthesis; melanogenesis; melanoma; Melanoma, Experimental - pathology; metabolites; Mice; mimosine; Momordica charantia; Momordica charantia - chemistry; neoplasm cells; p21-Activated Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; PAK1-blockers; Phenylpropionates - pharmacology; propolis; Pyrones - pharmacology; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Ryukyu Archipelago; melanogenesis; PAK1-blockers; hair growth; artepillin C; cucurbitacin; hispidin
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5510

PAK1 (RAC/CDC42‐activated kinase 1) is the major oncogenic kinase, and a number of herbal PAK1‐blockers such as propolis and curcumin have been shown to be anti‐oncogenic and anti‐melanogenic as well as anti‐alopecia (promoting hair growth). Previously, we found several distinct PAK1‐inhibitors in Okinawa plants including Alpinia zerumbet (alpinia). Thus, here, we tested the effects of these herbal compounds and their derivatives on the growth of cancer or normal hair cells, and melanogenesis in cell culture of A549 lung cancer, hair follicle dermal papilla cell, and B16F10 melanoma. Among these herbal PAK1‐inhibitors, cucurbitacin I from bitter melon (Goya) turned out to be the most potent to inhibit the growth of human lung cancer cells with the IC₅₀ around 140 nM and to promote the growth of hair cells with the effective dose around 10 nM. Hispidin, a metabolite of 5,6‐dehydrokawain from alpinia, inhibited the growth of cancer cells with the IC₅₀ of 25 μM as does artepillin C, the major anti‐cancer ingredient in Brazilian green propolis. Mimosine tetrapeptides (MFWY, MFYY, and MFFY) and hispidin derivatives (H1–3) also exhibited a strong anti‐cancer activity with the IC₅₀ ranging from 16 to 30 μM. Mimosine tetrapeptides and hispidin derivatives strongly suppressed the melanogenesis in melanoma cells. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.