Work

Isothankunic acid from Centella asiatica targets signalling inducing caspase-3 activation and cell cycle arrest in PA-1 ovarian teratocarcinoma cells

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Ovarian cancer remains a major cause of mortality due to chemoresistance and apoptosis evasion. This study evaluated the anticancer activity of a methanolic extract (ME) of Centella asiatica against PA-1 ovarian teratocarcinoma cells. The ME exhibited concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, with an IC₅₀ of 89.89 μg/mL. Apoptotic cells increased from 8.54% in controls to 66.3% following treatment, accompanied by increased active caspase-3 expression and a G2/M-arrest phenotype, indicating inhibited cell survival and proliferation. LC‒MS profiling identified multiple phytochemicals within the extract, which were subsequently evaluated using molecular docking, ADMET profiling and molecular dynamics simulations. Isothankunic acid has emerged as a potential bioactive candidate with favourable predicted interaction with estrogen receptor alpha. Overall, the ME demonstrated cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects in PA-1 cells, while isothankunic acid remains an analytically identified and computationally prioritized candidate requiring isolation and direct experimental validation.

Source: Journal of Taibah University for Science

DOI: 10.1080/16583655.2026.2743339

Authors: Nawaf Alshammari, Mamdouh Alshammari, Malvi Surti

Institutions: Illinois College, Parul University

Language: English

Topic: Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection

Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $944