Extrato hidroalcoólico de Butia odorata sobre linhagens de glioma C6 e U87MG: explorando possíveis mecanismos antioxidantes e anti-inflamatórios

Abstract

The fruit of Butia odorata (BO), a plant native to South America, has been gaining attention due to its high bioactive composition, which includes flavonoids, phenolic acids, and carotenoids. These compounds are widely reported in the literature for their beneficial properties for human health, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects. Additionally, gliomas are heterogeneous tumors that affect the central nervous system, with glioblastoma (GBM) being the type of glioma that presents the highest degree of malignancy. The treatment of this pathology typically involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy; however, the average patient survival remains only between 14 and 18 months. Therefore, emphasis is placed on the search for therapeutic alternatives to improve the prognosis of patients. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro antiglioma effect of a standardized hydroalcoholic extract of BO on rat (C6) and human (U87MG) glioma cell lines. For this purpose, the cells were exposed to different concentrations of the extract (125 to 2000 μg/mL) at times of 0, 2, 4, 6, 24, 48, and/or 72 h. Then, cell viability, proliferation, colony formation, and redox balance parameters were evaluated on the C6 and U87MG cell lines, as well as cell migration and the relative mRNA expression of genes related to gliomagenesis in the C6 cell line only. First, the BO extract significantly reduced cell viability and proliferation at 24, 48, and 72 h, as well as colony formation at 72 h, in both C6 and U87MG cell lines. Additionally, the extract did not promote significant changes in astrocytes at 72 h of treatment, suggesting a selective cytotoxic effect. Regarding the redox balance parameters, after 72 h of treatment with the extract, a reduction in reactive oxygen species and nitrites, an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes, and an increase in sulfhydryl content were observed in both cell lines. Furthermore, in the C6 cell line, the extract at a concentration of 750 μg/mL reduced cell migration, and, more significantly, at a concentration of 2000 μg/mL modulated the expression of genes involved in the context of GBM, such as matrix metalloproteinase 2, O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase, caspase 3, nuclear factor kappa B, and interleukin 6. These results suggest that the BO extract exerts a potential antitumor effect in an in vitro glioma model, primarily through mechanisms involving redox regulation and inflammation.