Volume 7 Issue 1
Induction of Apoptosis in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells MCF-7 by Monapurpyridine A, a New Azaphilone Derivative from Monascus purpureus NTU 568
Li-Chuan Hsu, Ya-Wen Hsu, Yu-Han Liang, Chia-Ching Liaw, Yao-Haur Kuo and Tzu-Ming Pan
1Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
2Division of Herbal Drugs and Natural Products, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
3Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
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Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A new azaphilonidal derivative, monapurpyridine A (MPA), has recently been isolated from the fermented products of Monascus purpureus NTU 568. The structure of MPA was elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) and other spectroscopic analyses. Biological evaluation revealed that MPA could induce cell death in human breast adenocarcinoma cells MCF-7, and it has no significant toxicity to normal mammary epithelial cells M10. The MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis were employed to investigate cell viability and cell cycle influenced by MPA. Moreover, we used Western blot and caspase activity assay to demonstrate the activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9 resulted from MPA. All evidence supported that MPA was suitable for developing into a chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agent against breast cancer.
Keywords:Monascus purpureus NTU 568; azaphilone; monapurpyridine A; cytotoxicity; apoptosis