Triple negative human breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer subtype with poor prognosis. Besides the better-known artemisinin,
Artemisia annua L. contains numerous active compounds not well-studied yet. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array and mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-DAD-MS) was used for the
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Triple negative human breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer subtype with poor prognosis. Besides the better-known artemisinin,
Artemisia annua L. contains numerous active compounds not well-studied yet. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array and mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-DAD-MS) was used for the analysis of the most abundant compounds of an
Artemisia annua extract exhibiting toxicity to MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. Artemisinin, 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, arteannuic acid were not toxic to any of the cancer cell lines tested. The flavonols chrysosplenol
d and casticin selectively inhibited the viability of the TNBC cell lines, MDA-MB-231, CAL-51, CAL-148, as well as MCF7, A549, MIA PaCa-2, and PC-3. PC-3 prostate cancer cells exhibiting high basal protein kinase B (AKT) and no ERK1/2 activation were relatively resistant, whereas MDA-MB-231 cells with high basal ERK1/2 and low AKT activity were more sensitive to chrysosplenol
d treatment. In vivo, chrysosplenol
d and casticin inhibited MDA-MB-231 tumor growth on chick chorioallantoic membranes. Both compounds induced mitochondrial membrane potential loss and apoptosis. Chrysosplenol
d activated ERK1/2, but not other kinases tested, increased cytosolic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced autophagy in MDA-MB-231 cells. Lysosomal aberrations and toxicity could be antagonized by ERK1/2 inhibition. The
Artemisia annua flavonols chrysosplenol
d and casticin merit exploration as potential anticancer therapeutics.
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