Redox modulatory and Anti-cancer property of Toluquinol, a marine fungus derived natural product

Several natural bioproducts from the marine environment have been developed successfully into potent drugs for treating various diseases including cancer. “Drugs from the Sea” is an emerging field in drug discovery area. Toluquinol, a methylhydroquinone compound, produced by marine fungus Penicillium sp. is a known AKT inhibitor. The present study investigates the anticancer and antioxidant property of toluquinol in human lung cancer cell lines. Studies carried out in cell free systems by ABTS, DPPH free radical scavenging and total antioxidant status demonstrated significant free radical scavenging property by toluquinol in a dose dependent manner. Toluquinol was also seen to increase GSH levels and decrease catalase enzyme activity in H 2 O 2 treated human lung cancer cell lines (H520 and H23). Soft agar colony formation assay and scratch wound assay was performed to investigate toluquinol’s anticancer property. EtBr/PI staining and apoptotic gene mRNA expression clearly shows apoptosis induced by toluquinol in these cancer cell lines. Normal human lung cells, L132 were used as controls. We also screened differential genomic responses of lung cancer cell lines to toluquinol using Affymetrix Expression Arrays. The data shows that toluquinol treatment modulates the expression of genes related to cell proliferation/DNA repair, antioxidant and inflammatory-immune pathways. This study for the first time demonstrates anticancer and antioxidant property of toluquinol in human lung cancer cell lines.