In vitro/in silico ASSESSMENT OF Symphytum officinale L. EXTRACT ON A549 CELLS; NEUROKININ-1 RECEPTOR-MEDIATED INTERACTIONS OF MALAXINIC ACID AND GLOBOIDNAN A

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AKÇİT E. T., Bingol N. A., Simsek E., Altınkaynak A., Tutkun G., Mekik Z. B., ...Daha Fazla

Eskişehir Teknik Üniversitesi Bilim ve Teknoloji Dergisi C- yaşam Bilimleri ve Biyoteknoloji (Online), cilt.15, sa.2, ss.130-146, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Lung cancer is still one of the main causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Angiogenesis plays a vital role in tumor progression and metastasis. Natural products have acted as valuable resources in drug discovery due to their diverse biological activities and rich content of bioactive secondary metabolites. Symphytum officinale L. is a medicinal plant known for its high phenolic content and has attracted research interest for various biological properties. However, its angiogenesis-related effects have not yet been clearly characterized. In this study, the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of S. officinale extracts were determined, and their effects on A549 lung cancer cell proliferation were evaluated using the MTT assay. The levels of substance P, vascular endothelial growth factor, and interleukin-6 released from A549 lung carcinoma cells were quantified by ELISA. In addition, molecular docking analyses were performed to investigate the interactions of malaxinic acid and globoidnan A with receptors associated with substance P, vascular endothelial growth factor, and interleukin-6 signaling pathways. The S. officinale extract significantly reduced the viability and proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells. ELISA assays revealed a significant reduction (p<0.05) in vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6 levels at early time points, whereas substance P levels did not show a consistent or statistically significant change. Molecular docking analyses suggested favorable binding interactions of malaxinic acid and globoidnan A with NK-1, NRP- 1, Tie-2, and VEGFR-1 receptors. Taken together, these findings indicate that S. officinale extract reduces A549 cell viability and may exert transient anti-angiogenic effects on A549 cells, while its phenolic constituents exhibit strong predicted binding affinities to receptors involved in inflammatory and angiogenic signaling, particularly the NK-1 receptor.