A crystal lapiferin derived from Ferula vesceritensis induces apoptosis pathway in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Ferula vesceritensis is a plant that is used in the traditional medicine in Algeria. Chromatographic investigation of the methylene chloride/methanol extract of the aerial parts of F. vesceritensis afforded a crystal carotene sesquiterpene designed lapiferin (10alpha-acetoxy-6alpha-angeloyloxy-8alpha,9alpha-epoxy-trans-caxotan-4beta-ol) for the first time from this species. The structure was determined by comprehensive NMR studies, including DEPT, COSY, NOE, HMQC, HMBC and HRMS, and X-ray data of lapiferin. We report here for the first time the isolation of lapiferin from F. vesceritensis as a new natural source, and we additionally report the first X-ray data for lapiferin. We also report for the first time the specific anti-cancer activity of lapiferin against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), which is due to apoptosis and not necrosis. Moreover, we have identified for the first time the cell death pathway induced by lapiferin in human breast cancer cells, and also that lapiferin evokes multiple consequences that trigger apoptotic cell death, involving the enhancement of DNA fragmentation, the activation of caspases and the induction of histone acetylation in MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, we record here F. vesceritensis as a new natural source of lapiferin and its first X-ray analysis, and the promising specific anti-cancer activity against human breast cancer of lapiferin and accordingly F. vesceritensis extract.