Capsaicin possesses cytotoxic/anticancer activity and shares some common structural features, including a benzene ring and a long hydrophobic carbon tail, with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors trichostatin A and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid. | Turkish Journal of Biology Turk J Biol (2015) 39: 370-379 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Histone deacetylase inhibitory activity of hydroxycapsaicin, a synthetic derivative of capsaicin, and its cytotoxic effects against human colon cancer cell lines 1,3,4, 1 1 Thanaset SENAWONG *, Paweena WONGPHAKHAM , Thussanee SAIWICHAI , 2,3 2 Chanokbhorn PHAOSIRI , Pakit KUMBOONMA 1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 3 Natural Products Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 4 Food and Products Chemical Analysis Research Group, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand Received: Accepted/Published Online: Printed: Abstract: Capsaicin possesses cytotoxic/anticancer activity and shares some common structural features, including a benzene ring and a long hydrophobic carbon tail, with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors trichostatin A and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid. The aims of this study were to investigate HDAC inhibitory and cytotoxic activities of a synthetic derivative of capsaicin, hydroxycapsaicin (6-hydroxy-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylnonenamide), in colon cancer cell lines. Hydroxycapsaicin inhibited HDAC activity in vitro (IC50 = 72 µM) much more effectively than the prototype capsaicin (IC50 > mM) and also exhibited HDAC inhibitory activity in human cells (HeLa cells). MTT assay demonstrated that hydroxycapsaicin was less toxic than capsaicin against both cancer and noncancer cells; however, hydroxycapsaicin, with greater HDAC inhibitory activity, was more effective than capsaicin at inducing apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines, especially in HCT116 cells. Hydroxycapsaicin appeared to induce less apoptotic cell death than capsaicin .
