Antitumoral effect thought ROS production of the sesquiterpene lactone centratherin isolated from <i>Eremanthus crotonoides</i> , an endemic plant from Brazil

Cancer is a global public health problem, requiring the development of new and more effective drugs for treatment. <i>Eremanthus crotonoides</i>, is a common plant found in the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest and is used as a traditional medicinal plant in some regions. This study evaluated the potential antitumor effect of centratherin, a compound isolated from <i>E. crotonoides</i> leaves, against cancer cells. In colorectal cancer cells, centratherin showed greater toxicity than carboplatin while maintaining comparable selectivity to the control. Although centratherin did not induce classical apoptotic phenotypes and was not inhibited by Zvad, it did induce elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was responsible for cell death explaining its toxicity. <i>in silico</i> analysis, showed that this substance has high oral bioavailability and intestinal absorption. Centratherin was found to be selective against colon cancer cells and, therefore may be considered for future studies on colorectal cancer (CRC) studies.