Extracts from Pulsatilla patens target cancer-related signaling pathways in HeLa cells

The purpose of this study was to determine if a methanolic extract of the Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. can inhibit the progression of cancer through the modulation of cancer-related metabolic signaling pathways. We analyzed a panel of 13 inducible luciferase reporter gene vectors which expression is driven by enhancer elements that bind to specific transcription factors for the evaluation of the activity of cancer signaling pathways. The root extract of P. patens exhibited strong inhibition of several signaling pathways in HeLa cells, a cervical cancer cell line, and was found to be the most potent in inhibiting the activation of Stat3, Smad, AP-1, NF-κB, MYC, Ets, Wnt and Hdghog, at a concentration of 40 µg/mL. The methanolic extracts of P. patens enhanced apoptotic death, deregulated cellular proliferation, differentiation, and progression towards the neoplastic phenotype by altering key signaling molecules required for cell cycle progression. This is the first study to report the influence of Pulsatilla species on cancer signaling pathways. Further, our detailed phytochemical analysis of the methanolic extracts of the P. patens allowed to deduce that compounds, which strongly suppressed the growth and proliferation of HeLa cancer cells were mainly triterpenoid saponins accompanied by phenolic acids.