Chalcone constituents pulincisones A-F isolated from Pulicaria incisa with NQO1 inducer activity

Previously unknown chalcones such as β ’-chalcanone- α , β -diols and a β -hydroxydihydrochalcone, named pulincisone A-F as well as known chalcone analogs 3,4,2’,4’,6’,7,8-heptahydroxy-7(8)-dihydrochalcone ( 7 ) and 4,2’,6’-trihydroxy-4’-methoxydihydrochalcone ( 8 ) were isolated from Pulicaria incisa (Lam.) DC. and assayed for cancer preventative activity. Structures were identified by spectroscopic methods, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Pulincisone A and B, are epimers, at stereocenter C-8. A structural revision resulted in pulicisone A ( 1 ) and D ( 4 ) replacing pulichalconoids B and C, that were previously reported from the same species. Isolated chalcones were assessed for chemopreventive potential as inducers of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Compounds 2 , 3 , 5 , and 6 induced NQO1, using a Prochaska assay. NQO1 protein expression was detected by Western blotting analysis. Compound 6 among four active compounds had the highest potency as NQO1 inducers. Molecular docking analysis of the NQO1 Keap1 Kelch domain suggests Nrf2-dependent induction. These data indicate that pulincisone F ( 6 ) is a promising bioactive antioxidant (NQO1-inducer) with superior docking scores with the Keap1-Nrf2 complex compared to the reference NQO1 inducer sulforaphane (− 8.26 versus − 5.08 kcal mol - , respectively).