Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), an inducible enzyme responsible for the production of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid, is elevated in human prostate tumor samples. The aim of this study was to investigate whether expression of Cox-2 is effective against prostate cancer cell apoptosis triggered by sanguinarine, the quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloid with antineoplastic properti...

Sanguinarine showed strong inhibitory effect against Microcystis aeruginosa, a typical water bloom-forming and microcystins-producing cyanobacterium. The EC50 of sanguinarine against the growth of M. aeruginosa NIES-843 was 34.54±1.17 μg/L. Results of chlorophyll fluorescence transient analysis indicated that all the electron donating side, accepting side, and the reaction center of the Photosy...

The interaction of sanguinarine with right-handed (B-form), left-handed (Z-form) and left-handed (HL-form) structures of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) has been investigated by measuring the circular dichroism (CD) and UV-absorption spectral analysis. Sanguinarine binds strongly to the B-form DNA and does not bind to Z-form or HL-form, but it converts the Z-form and the HL-form back to the bound right...

For decades, natural products represented a significant source of diverse and unique bioactive lead compounds in drug discovery field. In Clinical oncology, complete tumors remission is hampered by the development of drug-resistance. Therefore, development of cytotoxic agents that may overcome drug resistance is urgently needed. Here, the natural benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine has be...

This study was aimed at evaluating the potential application of benzophenanthridine alkaloids, sanguinarine and cheleritrine, in the therapy of melanoma cancer. In vitro antiproliferative activity of sanguinarine was higher than that of cheleritrine against the B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. Both agents were able to produce DNA breaks, and the DNA unwinding assay showed that they act as DNA intercalat...

Berberine and Sanguinarine alkaloids belong to a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that mostly contain basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral or weakly acidic properties. Alkaloids are produced by a large number of organisms including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. Berberine and Sanguinarine both are isoquinoline derivatives and b...

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are a diverse class of plant specialized metabolites that includes the analgesic morphine, the antimicrobials sanguinarine and berberine, and the vasodilator papaverine. The two-electron oxidation of dihydrosanguinarine catalyzed by dihydrobenzophenanthridine oxidase (DBOX) is the final step in sanguinarine biosynthesis. The formation of the fully conjugated ring sy...

The first crystal structures of Berberine and Sanguinarine intercalated with a d(CGTACG)(2) DNA sequence were obtained by X-ray diffraction analysis at 2.3 Å resolution. Both drugs join the end of two "two-molecules" DNA units, stacked in a non-classic intercalation site formed by six bases. Sanguinarine interacts with d(CGTACG)(2) DNA in its iminium form.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal of all human malignancies with its incidence nearly equaling its mortality rate. Therefore, it's crucial to identify newer mechanism-based agents and targets to effectively manage pancreatic cancer. Plant-derived agents/drugs have historically been useful in cancer therapeutics. Sanguinarine is a plant alkaloid with anti-proliferative effects aga...

The benzophenanthridine alkaloid sanguinarine has antimicrobial and possibly anticancer properties but it is not clear to what extent these activities involve DNA damage. Thus, we studied its ability to cause DNA single and double strand breaks, as well as increased levels of 8-oxodeoxyguanosine, in human colon cancer cells and found DNA damage consistent with oxidation. Since the tumor suppres...