Inhibitory effect of anthraquinones isolated from the Noni ( Morinda citrifolia) root on animal A-, B- and Y-families of DNA polymerases and human cancer cell proliferation

• Published in: Food chemistry 2010-02, Vol.118 (3), p.725-730
• Main Authors: Kamiya, Kohei, Hamabe, Wakako, Tokuyama, Shogo, Hirano, Ken, Satake, Toshiko, Kumamoto-Yonezawa, Yuko, Yoshida, Hiromi, Mizushina, Yoshiyuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthraquinones; Anticancer functional food; anticarcinogenic activity; cell proliferation; chemical structure; colorectal neoplasms; DNA polymerase (pol); DNA-directed DNA polymerase; enzyme inhibition; Enzyme inhibitor; human cell lines; Human colon cancer HCT116 cell; human diseases; human nutrition; Morinda citrifolia; Morindone; Noni root; Pol family; roots; Rubiaceae
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.05.053

During the course of our studies to develop new uses for the Noni ( Morinda citrifolia) root, 10 anthraquinones, rubiadin ( 1), rubiadin 1-methyl ether ( 2), lucidin ( 3), damnacanthol ( 4), 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone ( 5), 3-hydroxy-1-methoxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone ( 6), nordamnacanthal ( 7), damnacanthal ( 8), sorandidiol ( 9) and morindone ( 10), were isolated. Compounds 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 exhibited remarkable inhibition against the activities of animal pols, and compound 10 was the strongest inhibitor in the anthraquinones investigated. Among mammalian pols, compound 10 inhibited the pol activities of A- (pol γ), B- (pols α, δ and ε) and Y- (pols η, ι and κ) families, but did not influence the activities of X-family pols (pols β, λ and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase). The tendency of pol inhibition showed a positive correlation with the suppression of human colon cancer cell HCT116 growth. These results suggested that the Noni root containing anthraquinones may be used as an anticancer functional food.