Cacalol Acetate as Anticancer Agent: Antiproliferative, Pro-Apoptotic, Cytostatic, and Anti-Migratory Effects

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Cancer Biology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cacalol, a sesquiterpene from *Psacalium decompositum*, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Previous studies indicated cacalol's cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and pro-apoptotic effects in breast cancer models.
• Cacalol acetate (CA), a derivative, has not been previously investigated for its anticancer potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro anticancer activities of cacalol acetate (CA) in a cervical cancer model.
• To compare the efficacy of CA with indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a known natural anticancer agent.
• To assess CA's antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, cytostatic, and anti-migratory effects on HeLa cells.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the HeLa cervical cancer cell line for in vitro experiments.
• Assessed antiproliferative and cytostatic effects, including cell cycle analysis (G2 arrest).
• Evaluated apoptosis induction (Cas-3 expression) and cell migration inhibition.

Main Results:

• CA demonstrated significant antitumor activities, including growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, G2 cell cycle arrest, and migration inhibition.
• CA's effects were more potent than those of I3C.
• I3C induced similar trends but did not significantly increase Cas-3 expression, suggesting a different apoptotic mechanism. Neither compound upregulated autophagy markers (p62, LC3B).

Conclusions:

• Cacalol acetate (CA) exhibits promising anticancer properties against cervical cancer in vitro.
• CA demonstrates superior efficacy compared to I3C, with lower cytotoxicity and stronger tumor phenotype regulation.
• CA warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for cervical cancer.