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

Cacalol (C), a sesquiterpene isolated from Psacalium decompositum, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Its cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and pro-apoptotic effects have been previously shown in an in vitro breast cancer model. A derivative, cacalol acetate (CA), shows potential in regulating these processes, which has not been previously reported. This study focused on an in vitro cervical cancer model, assessing CA's antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, cytostatic, and anti-migratory activities using the HeLa cell line. The natural anticancer agent indole-3-carbinol (I3C) was used as a control for comparison. CA demonstrated significant antitumor activities, including inhibiting cell growth, inducing apoptosis, arresting cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, and inhibiting cell migration. These effects were notably greater compared to I3C. I3C, while following a similar trend, did not induce Cas-3 expression, suggesting a different apoptotic pathway. Neither CA nor I3C increased p62 and LC3B levels, indicating they do not stimulate autophagy marker expression. Both compounds inhibited HeLa cell migration and induced cell cycle arrest. Despite both holding promise as anticancer agents for cervical cancer, CA's lower cytotoxicity and stronger regulation of tumor phenotypes make it a more promising agent compared to I3C.