Rare Chromone Derivatives from the Marine-Derived<i> Penicillium citrinum</i> with Anti-Cancer and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

• Main Authors: Yi-Cheng Chu, Chun-Hao Chang, Hsiang-Ruei Liao, Ming-Jen Cheng, Ming-Der Wu, Shu-Ling Fu, Jih-Jung Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Marine Drugs
• Subjects: <i>Penicillium citrinum</i>; chromone derivatives; anti-inflammatory activity; anti-cancer activity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/1/25

Three new and rare chromone derivatives, epiremisporine C (<b>1</b>), epiremisporine D (<b>2</b>), and epiremisporine E (<b>3</b>), were isolated from marine-derived<i> Penicillium citrinum</i>, together with four known compounds, epiremisporine B (<b>4</b>), penicitrinone A (<b>5</b>), 8-hydroxy-1-methoxycarbonyl-6-methylxanthone (<b>6</b>), and isoconiochaetone C (<b>7</b>). Among the isolated compounds, compounds <b>2</b>–<b>5</b> significantly decreased fMLP-induced superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils, with IC₅₀ values of 6.39 ± 0.40, 8.28 ± 0.29, 3.62 ± 0.61, and 2.67 ± 0.10 μM, respectively. Compounds <b>3</b> and <b>4</b> exhibited cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values of 43.82 ± 6.33 and 32.29 ± 4.83 μM, respectively, against non-small lung cancer cell (A549), and Western blot assay confirmed that compounds <b>3</b> and <b>4</b> markedly induced apoptosis of A549 cells, through Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase 3 <i>signaling</i> cascades.