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AbstractCancer is a global concern and the potential targeting of cancer stem cells (CSCs) has gained major attention in anticancer drug discovery research. Various natural compounds have shown promising effects in suppressing cancer, prompting scientific interest. In this study, we investigated the anti-CSC properties of schisandracaurin C, a novel compound derived from the Vietnamese plant Schisandra cauliflora. To evaluate its anti-CSC efficacy, we employed the MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, the caspase-3 assay and a three-dimensional cell culture method, focusing on the teratocarcinoma NTERA-2 cells. Our findings revealed that schisandracaurin C inhibited the growth of NTERA-2 cells with an IC50value of 16.61±0.13 μM, which was significantly lower than that on HEK-293A healthy embryonic kidney cells (22.72±0.02 μM) (P<0.05). Schisandracaurin C was toxic to NTERA-2 cells within three-dimensional tumorspheres (IC50: 33.47±1.45 μM). The anti-CSC effects of schisandracaurin C on NTERA-2 cells were mediated through apoptosis, as evidenced by increased caspase-3 activity. Schisandracaurin C induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase in NTERA-2 cells. These findings highlight the potential of schisandracaurin C as a promising anti-CSC compound, which warrants further mechanistic and clinical investigations.

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The study reports the development of a nanostructured mixed-valence Fe(II)Fe(III)BTC metal-organic framework (BTC = 1, 3, 5-benzenetricarboxylate) modified carbon paste electrode as a novel sensor for the amoxicillin detection in aqueous solutions using square wave voltammetry. The physicochemical properties of FeBTC were characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These techniques revealed that FeBTC has a surface area of 1211 m2g−1, a total pore volume of 1.46 cm3g−1, particle sizes ranging from 10 to 20 nm, and a mixed-valence structure. Furthermore, SEM, TEM, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy exhibited the homogeneous distribution of FeBTC throughout the modified electrode. The electrochemical study showed that the mixed-valence FeBTC improved the electron transfer capabilities of the electrode. Under optimal conditions, the modified electrode exhibited a significant increase in peak height compared to the unmodified electrode (4.6 times higher), with an acceptable reproducibility of 4.88% relative standard deviation. The linear range of the sensor was 1–100 μM with a good coefficient of determination of 0.9985, and a detection limit of 0.107 μM. Additionally, the sensor demonstrated excellent performance with the satisfactory recoveries and a good correlation with LC-MS/MS analysis.