Multi-target anticancer activity of compounds isolated from galls of Pistacia chinensis subsp. integerrima: A mechanistic investigation

The usage of Pistacia chinensis subsp. integerrima (J.L. Stewart) Rech. f. and its extracts in traditional medicine is well-documented, since this plant is known for its anti-infective, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Additionally, recent studies described the antiproliferative activity of its extracts on cancer cell models. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of action underlying this biological effect still have to be fully elucidated. In this study, we focused our attention on the characterization of the bioactivity profile of the flavonoids spinacetin (1) and patuletin (2) and of the triterpene pistagremic acid (3) extracted from the galls of P. integerrima. The compounds were tested in vitro against aldose reductase and thymidine phosphorylase, two targets that are attracting growing attention in the field of drug discovery due to their involvement in metabolism regulation and angiogenesis. Computational studies were used to rationalize experimental data, and the results support the potential of spinacetin (1) as a promising bioactive multi-target anticancer agent.