Apoptosis Induction of <i>Agave lechuguilla</i> Torrey Extract on Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells (SK-LU-1)

• Main Authors: Luis Alberto Anguiano-Sevilla, Eugenia Lugo-Cervantes, Cynthia Ordaz-Pichardo, Jorge Luis Rosas-Trigueros, María Eugenia Jaramillo-Flores
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: <i>Agave lechuguilla</i>; apoptosis; cytotoxic activity; molecular docking; mass spectrometry
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/12/3765

In this study, an ethanol extract of <i>Agave lechuguilla</i> was evaluated against six carcinogenic cell lines (HCT-15, MCF-7, PC-3, U-251, SK-LU-1 and K-562) with an inhibition of 75.7 &#177; 2.3% against the SK-LU-1 line. Based on the previous result, the extract was hydrolyzed and fractionated, to which the IC₅₀ was determined; the cell line was more sensitive to the fractionated extract with an IC₅₀ 6.96 &#177; 0.15 &#181;g/mL. Characterization by mass spectrometry showed the presence of kaempferol, quercetin and a flavonoid dimer formed by afzelechin-4&#946;-8-quercetin, according to the generated fragmentation pattern. The fractionated extract presented cell death by apoptosis with 39.8% at 24 h. Molecular docking was performed with the molecules found to try to describe cell death by apoptosis through death receptors such as FasCD95, TNF-R1, DR4/5 and blocking signaling on the EGFR and K-Ras MAPK/ERK pathway, as well as through the intrinsic pathway activating tBID, which promotes the amplification of the apoptotic signal due to the activation of caspase-3, and consequently caspase-7. In addition to the activation of the IIb complex associated with cell death due to necroptosis.