Table 3 Indole alkaloids targeting autophagic signaling pathways in cancer

Harmol

Peganum harmala

ERK1/2↑

Induce autophagy

A549 cell

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

[188]

Chaetoglobosin G

Chaetomium globosum

MEK, ERK↓

LC3-II↑

Induce autophagy

A549 (IC₅₀ = 5–10 μM)

Lung cancer

[189]

Evodiamine

Evodia rutaecarpa

Calcium/JNK↑

Induce autophagy

U87-MG (IC₅₀ = 5.21 μM)

Glioblastoma

[193]

Notoamide G

Aspergillus ochraceus

p38, JNK↑

Induce autophagy

HepG2 (IC₅₀ = 1.31 ± 0.11 μM); Huh-7 (IC₅₀ = 1.54 ± 0.08 μM);

Hepatocellular carcinoma

[194]

CTet

Indole-3-carbinol derivative

Akt↓

mTOR↓

Induce autophagy

MDA-MB-231 (IC₅₀ = 1.00 ± 0.01 μM); MCF-7 (IC₅₀ = 1.32 ± 0.03 μM)

Breast cancer

[200, 201]

Bisleuconothine A

Leuconotis griffithii

Akt/mTOR↓

Induce autophagy

A549 (IC₅₀ = 8 μM)

Lung cancer

[203]

Harmol

Peganum harmala

Akt/mTOR↓

Induce autophagy

U251MG

Glioma

[202]

Harmine

Peganum harmala

PI3K/Akt/mTOR↓

Induce autophagy

B16 (IC₅₀ = 44.92 μM)

Melanoma

[204]

Flavopereirine

Geissospermum

Akt/p38MAPK↓

Inhibit autophagy

MDA-MB-231

Triple-negative breast cancer

[205]

4-Bromo-N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-5,12-dihydroindolo[3,2-a]carbazole-6-carboxamide

Racemocin B derivative

p62, LC3-II↑

Inhibit autophagy

MDA-MB-231 (IC₅₀ = 1.06 ± 0.10 μM); MCF-7 (IC₅₀ = 2.00 ± 0.24 μM)

Breast cancer

[215]

Manzamine A

Haliclona sp., Xestospongia sp. and Pellina sp.

p62/SQSTM1, LC3-II↑

Inhibit autophagy

AsPC-1 and PANC-1

Pancreatic cancer

[216]

Indole-3-carbinol

Cruciferous vegetables

p62↓

LC3-II↑

Induce autophagy

EAC cell

Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

[219]

Mukonal

Murraya koenigii

Beclin-1↑

Induce autophagy

MDA-MB-231; SK-BR-3 (IC₅₀ = 7.5 μM)

Breast cancer

[228]

Evodiamine

Evodia rutaecarpa

Beclin-1↑

Induce autophagy

SGC-7901

Gastric cancer

[229]

Bufothionine

Toad Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor

JAK2/STAT3↓

Induce autophagy

SMMC-7721

Hepatocellular carcinoma

[233]

Reduced scytonemin

Nostoc commune

ROS↑

LC3-II↑

Induce autophagy

Jurkat (IC₅₀ = 1.8 μM)

Leukemia

[239]

Fascaplysin

Fascaplysinopsis sp.

ROS, p8↑

Induce autophagy

HUVECs (EC₅₀ = 1.3 μM)

Vascular endothelial cell

[241]

EE-84

Aplysinopsin derivative

ER stress↑

PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP↑

Induce autophagy

K562 (GI₅₀ = 19.07 ± 0.80 μM)

Myeloid leukemia

[242]

Voacamine

Peschiera fuchsiaefolia

LC3-II/LC3-I↑

Induce autophagy

U-2 OS/WT and U-2 OS/DX

Osteosarcoma

[243]

Taberine D

Tabernaemontana corymbosa

LC3-II/LC3-I↑

Inhibit autophagy

HL-60, A549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7 (IC₅₀ < 10 μM)

Leukemia; lung cancer; liver cancer; breast cancer

[244]