The anti-cancer activity of 2 himachalene-6-OL extracted from daucus carota SSP. carota. (c2014)

Abstract

Daucus carota ssp. carota, known as wild carrot, is a member of the family Umbelliferae (Apiacae), and commonly used in the folklore medicine in Lebanon to treat several diseases including cancer. Its oil extract and fractions exhibited antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Daucus carota oil extract was chromatographed on silica gel column and produced four fractions: pentane (F1), 50:50 pentane:diethyl ether (F2), diethyl ether (F3), 93:7 chloroform:methanol (F4) fractions. The four fractions were tested against A549, Caco-2, MB-MDA-231, B16F-10, and SF- 268 cancer cells and F2 demonstrated the highest activity. The major compound of F2 was isolated and identified by GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy as 2-himachalene-6-ol, and found to be unique to the Lebanese Daucus carota. 2 himachalene-6-ol showed promising anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic abilities against the used cells, with high sensitivity against SF-268 cells. Staining with Annexin V and PI, using flow cytometry, showed that 2 himachalene-6-ol treatment induced cellular death through necrosis. Moreover, time lapse movies and wound healing assays demonstrated that 2 himachalene-6-ol decreased 2D cellular motility in SF-268 cells in vitro. Adhesion and 3D invasion assays done also showed that the treatment decreased SF-268 cellular adhesion and invasion on collagen in vitro. The significance of the study is that 2 himachalene-6-ol could be considered towards reaching a potential cancer therapy targeting proliferation and apoptosis, as well as cancer motility and metastasis.