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Highlights: [•] Chalcone, 2-hydroxychalcone, and xanthohumol showed cytotoxicity in breast cells. [•] 2-Hydroxychalcone and xanthohumol induced apoptosis by Bcl-2 downregulation. [•] 2-Hydroxychalcone and xanthohumol exerted potent inhibitory effects on invasion. [•] Chalcones are potential anticancer agents which alleviate breast cancer progression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Xanthohumol (2′,4′,4-trihydroxy-6′-methoxy-3′-prenylchalcone) is a major chalcone derivative isolated from hop (Humulus lupulus L.) commonly used in brewing due to its bitter flavors. Xanthohumol has anti-carcinogenic, free radical-scavenging, and anti-inflammatory activities, but its precise mechanisms are not clarified yet. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein NRF2 is a key transcription factor mediating the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses in animals. Therefore, we tested whether xanthohumol exerts anti-inflammatory activity in mouse microglial BV2 cells via NRF2 signaling. Xanthohumol significantly inhibited the excessive production of inflammatory mediators NO, IL-1β, and TNF-α, and the activation of NF-κB signaling in LPS-induced stimulated BV2 cells. Xanthohumol up-regulated the transcription of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and increased the level of the endogenous antioxidant GSH. In addition, xanthohumol induced nuclear translocation of NRF2 and further activation of ARE promoter-related transcription. The anti-inflammatory response of xanthohumol was attenuated by transfection with NRF2 siRNA and in the presence of the HO-1 inhibitor, ZnPP, but not the NQO1 inhibitor, dicoumarol. Taken together, our study suggests that xanthohumol exerts anti-inflammatory activity through NRF2-ARE signaling and up-regulation of downstream HO-1, and could be an attractive candidate for the regulation of inflammatory responses in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial conjugation studies of licochalcones (1–4) and xanthohumol (5) were performed by using the fungi Mucor hiemalis and Absidia coerulea. As a result, one new glucosylated metabolite was produced by M. hiemalis whereas four new and three known sulfated metabolites were obtained by transformation with A. coerulea. Chemical structures of all the metabolites were elucidated on the basis of 1D-, 2D-NMR and mass spectroscopic data analyses. These results could contribute to a better understanding of the metabolic fates of licochalcones and xanthohumol in mammalian systems. Although licochalcone A 4′-sulfate (7) showed less cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines compared to its substrate licochalcone A, its activity was fairly retained with the IC50 values in the range of 27.35–43.07 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both short- and long-term exposure to fine dust (FD) from air pollution has been linked to various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Endothelial cell (EC) senescence is an important risk factor for CVDs, and recent evidence suggests that FD-induced premature EC senescence increases oxidative stress levels. Hop plant (Humulus lupulus) is a very rich source of polyphenols known to have nutritional and therapeutic properties, including antioxidant behavior. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether Humulus lupulus extract prevents FD-induced vascular senescence and dysfunction and, if so, to characterize the underlying mechanisms and active components. Porcine coronary arteries and endothelial cells were treated with FD in the presence or absence of hop extract (HOP), and the senescence-associated-beta galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, cell-cycle progression, expression of senescence markers, oxidative stress level, and vascular function were evaluated. Results indicated that HOP inhibited FD-induced SA-β-gal activity, cell-cycle arrest, and oxidative stress, suggesting that HOP prevents premature induction of senescence by FD. HOP also ameliorated FD-induced vascular dysfunction. Additionally, xanthohumol (XN) and isoxanthohumol (IX) were found to produce the protective effects of HOP. Treatment with HOP and its primary active components XN and IX downregulated the expression of p22phox, p53, and angiotensin type 1 receptor, which all are known FD-induced redox-sensitive EC senescence inducers. Taken together, HOP and its active components protect against FD-induced endothelial senescence most likely via antioxidant activity and may be a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and/or treating air-pollution-associated CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Xanthohumol (XN) and its related compounds were evaluated for their effects on modulating the production of interleukin (IL)-12, the most important factor driving T helper 1 immune responses. XN showed the strongest inhibitory effect on IL-12 production in macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or LPS/interferon-γ. Xanthohumol 4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (XNG) inhibited IL-12 production less effectively than XN. Isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin showed comparatively lower inhibitory effects on IL-12 production than XNG. (2S)-5-methoxy-8-prenylnaringenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside did not exert any effect on IL-12 production. We then tested how these compounds affected NF-κB binding activity to the κB site in the nucleus. The compounds inhibited κB binding in macrophages with the same potency order as IL-12 inhibition. Furthermore, we investigated whether XN, which showed the most effective reduction of IL-12 production, attenuated skin inflammation. Chronic allergic contact dermatitis, an experimental model for psoriasis, was used to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of XN in vivo. XN treatment reduced the degree of ear thickening induced by oxazolone. Taken together, XN might be effective as an anti-inflammatory agent to reduce skin inflammation by inhibiting IL-12 production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Xanthohumol (XN) is a major chalcone found in hop, which is used to add bitterness and flavor to beer. In this study, we investigated the effects of XN on the production of interlukin-2 (IL-2), a potent T cell growth factor. Treatment with XN significantly increased IL-2 production in mouse EL-4 T cells activated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin (Io) in a dose-dependent manner. To further characterize its regulatory mechanism of XN on increased IL-2 production, the effects of XN on IL-2 promoter activity and the activity of several transcription factors modulating IL-2 expression were analyzed. XN enhanced activity of the IL-2 promoter, which contains distal and proximal regulatory elements in PMA/Io-activated EL-4 T cells. Furthermore, the activity of NF-AT and AP-1 was enhanced but NF-κB activity was not influenced by XN in PMA/Io-activated EL-4 T cells. These results suggest that XN increased IL-2 production at the transcriptional levels via the up-regulation of NF-AT and AP-1 in PMA/Io-activated EL-4 T cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Macrophages are the main cells responsible for the innate immunity, and their activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria or interferon (IFN)-γ from host immune cells is important for controlling infections. However, the overwhelming activation of macrophages can cause a severe inflammatory state. This study investigated the inhibitory mechanism of xanthohumol (XN) against the inflammatory effectors (IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS) in activated RAW264.7 macrophages by using different stimuli such as LPS, IFN-γ, or LPS plus IFN-γ. XN is a major prenylated chalcone found in hops, which is used to add bitterness and flavor to beer. XN reduced the expression of the LPS receptor components such as TLR4 and MD2 resulting in the suppression of NF-κB activation in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. In the IFN-γ stimulated RAW264.7 cells, the binding activity of STAT-1α and IRF-1 was inhibited by XN. This suggests that differential signaling pathways are used by XN for the inhibition of excess inflammatory mediators depending on the stimuli in macrophages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]