Triterpenoids from Momordica balsamina with a Collateral Sensitivity Effect for Tackling Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Cells

  • Planta Med. 2018 Dec;84(18):1372-1379. doi: 10.1055/a-0651-8141.
Cátia Ramalhete  1  2 ,  Silva Mulhovo  3 ,  Hermann Lage  4  5 ,  Maria-José U Ferreira  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • 2. ATLÂNTICA - Escola Universitária de Ciências Empresariais, Saúde, Tecnologias e Engenharia, Oeiras, Portugal.
  • 3. Centro de Estudos Moçambicanos e de Etnociências, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Pedagogical University, Maputo, Mozambique.
  • 4. Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Charité, Berlin, Germany.
  • 5. Department of Pathology, Vivantes Clinics, Berlin, Germany.
PMID: 29996165 DOI: 10.1055/a-0651-8141
Abstract

The collateral sensitivity effect is among the most promising strategies for overcoming multidrug resistance in Cancer. In this work, 28 cucurbitane-type triterpenoids (1: -28: ), previously isolated from the African medicinal plant Momordica balsamina and its derivatives, were evaluated for their collateral sensitivity effect on three different human Cancer entities, gastric (EPG85-257), pancreatic (EPP85-181), and colon (HT-29), each with two different multidrug-resistant variants. One was selected for its resistance to daunorubicin (EPG85-257RDB, EPP85-181RDB, HT-29RDB) and the Other was selected for its resistance to mitoxantrone (EPG85-257RNOV, EPP85-181RNOV, HT-29RNOV). On gastric cell lines, the best results were obtained for compounds 3: and 10: , which exhibited a collateral sensitivity effect together with high antiproliferative activity. In turn, on colon Cancer cell lines, the best multidrug resistance-selective antiproliferative effects were observed for derivatives 11, 13: , and 15: , which showed collateral sensitivity effects against both resistant variants. Compounds 11: and 3: were also the most selective against the multidrug resistance pancreatic cells lines. Some compounds, such 6, 10, 11: and 15: , were previously found to be strong P-glycoprotein modulators, thus highlighting their potential as promising leads for overcoming multidrug resistance in Cancer cells.

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