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Germacranes are a type of sesquiterpene lactones with anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties against cancer cell lines. In this in vitro study, erioflorin and erioflorin acetate were isolated and purified from the leaves of Podanthus mitiqui Lindl (Mitique or Mitriu), a shrub endemic to Chile and traditionally used in Mapuche medicine to treat urinary and digestive disorders. Their effects on advanced prostate cancer cell lines (DU-145 and 22Rv1) were evaluated. Cytotoxicity was assessed using real-time cell death and clonogenic assays. Apoptosis was determined by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and apoptotic cell percentage through flow cytometry. Gene expression of BAX and BCL-2 was analyzed via RT-qPCR, while NF-κB activation was studied in DU-145 cells and human monocytic NF-κB reporter assays using LPS stimulation and alkaline phosphatase activity quantification. Erioflorin acetate exhibited the highest cytotoxicity, with IC₅₀ values of 35.1 µM (22Rv1) and 27.3 µM (DU-145), compared to erioflorin, which had IC₅₀ values of 50.3 µM and 56.5 µM, respectively. Both compounds increased ROS levels, reduced ΔΨm, and induced apoptosis. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that erioflorin elevated the BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and both compounds inhibited NF-κB activation by preventing IκBα phosphorylation. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that erioflorin and erioflorin acetate exert significant in vitro cytotoxic and cytostatic effects on prostate cancer cells, supporting their potential as natural candidates for prostate cancer therapy. Full article

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and represents a serious health problem, especially in Latin America. The clinical treatment of Chagas disease is based on two nitroderivatives that present severe side effects and important limitations. In folk medicine, natural products, including sesquiterpenoids, have been employed for the treatment of different parasitic diseases. In this study, the trypanocidal activity of compounds isolated from the Chilean plants Drimys winteri, Podanthus mitiqui and Maytenus boaria on three T. cruzi evolutive forms (epimastigote, trypomastigote and amastigote) was evaluated. Total extracts and seven isolated sesquiterpenoids were assayed on trypomastigotes and epimastigotes. Polygodial (Pgd) from D. winteri, total extract from P. mitiqui (PmTE) and the germacrane erioflorin (Efr) from P. mitiqui were the most bioactive substances. Pgd, Efr and PmTE also presented strong effects on intracellular amastigotes and low host toxicity. Many ultrastructural effects of these substances, including reservosome disruption, cytosolic vacuolization, autophagic phenotype and mitochondrial swelling (in the case of Pgd), were observed. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential in treated epimastigotes and an increase in ROS production and high plasma membrane permeability after treatment with Pgd. The promising trypanocidal activity of these natural sesquiterpenoids may be a good starting point for the development of alternative treatmentsforChagas disease. Full article