akuammicine and Leukemia-P388

Three new indole alkaloids, N(4)-demethyl-12-methoxyalstogustine (1), 17-carboxyl-N(4)-methylechitamidine chloride (2), and 17-carboxyl-12-methoxy-N(4)-methylechitamidine chloride (3), along with 15 known alkaloids, were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Winchia calophylla. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic means and chemical methods. The determination of relative configurations at C-19 and C-20 for 1-3 was aided by 13C NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of alkaloids 1-3 were determined by direct comparison of their CD spectra with those of known alkaloids. All the alkaloids were tested in cytotoxic assays against P-388 and A-549 tumor cell lines, and only two of them showed weak activity against the A-549 cell line.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apocynaceae; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Humans; Indole Alkaloids; Leukemia P388; Mice; Molecular Structure; Plant Bark; Plants, Medicinal; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids