Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and highest-grade
brain tumor in adults. The prognosis is still poor despite the use of combined
therapy involving maximal surgical resection,
radiotherapy, and
chemotherapy. The development of more efficient drugs without noticeable side effects is urgent.
Coronarin D is a
diterpene obtained from the rhizome extract of Hedychium coronarium, classified as a
labdane with several
biological activities, principally anticancer potential. The aim of the present study was to determine the anti-
cancer properties of
Coronarin D in the
glioblastoma cell line and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Coronarin D potently suppressed cell viability in
glioblastoma U-251 cell line, and also induced G1 arrest by reducing p21
protein and
histone H2AX phosphorylation, leading to DNA damage and apoptosis. Further studies showed that
Coronarin D increased the production of
reactive oxygen species, lead to mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and subsequently activated
caspases and ERK phosphorylation, major mechanisms involved in apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis referring to this compound on the
glioma cell line. These findings highlight the antiproliferative activity of
Coronarin D against
glioblastoma cell line U-251 and provide a basis for further investigation on its
antineoplastic activity on
brain cancer.