anthricin and Leukemia-P388

Bioassay (P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line and human tumor cell lines)-guided separation of the extracts prepared from the tropical and coastal trees Hernandia peltata (Malaysia) and Hernandianymphaeifolia (Republic of Maldives) led to the isolation of a new lignan designated as hernanol (1) and 12 previously known lignans: (-)-deoxypodophyllotoxin (2), deoxypicropodophyllin (3), (+)-epiaschantin (4), (+)-epieudesmin (5), praderin (6), 5'-methoxyyatein (7), podorhizol (8), deoxypodorhizone (9), bursehernin (10), kusunokinol (11), clusin (12), and (-)-maculatin (13). The oxidative cyclization (with VOF(3)) of lignans 8, 9, and 10 resulted in a new and unusual benzopyran (14), isostegane (15), and a new dibenzocyclooctadiene lactone (16), respectively. The structure and relative stereochemistry of hernanol (1) and lignans 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 were determined by 1D and 2DNMR and HRMS analyses. The structures and absolute stereochemistry of structures 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, and 16 were unequivocally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Evaluation against the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line and human tumor cell lines showed podophyllotoxin derivatives 2 and 3 to be strong cancer cell line growth inhibitors and substances 4, 5, 8, and 15 to have marginal cancer cell line inhibitory activities. Seven of the lignans and one of the synthetic modifications (14) inhibited growth of the pathogenic bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Crystallography, X-Ray; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Indian Ocean Islands; Leukemia P388; Lignans; Malaysia; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Conformation; Molecular Structure; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Plants, Medicinal; Trees; Tumor Cells, Cultured

A new cytotoxic (P-388 ED50 4 microgm/ml) arylnaphthalene lignan has been isolated from the Mexican medicinal plant Hyptis verticillata (Lamiaceae) and characterized as 5-methoxydehydropodophyllotoxin [1]. Eight additional lignans were also obtained by bioactivity-directed fractionation using the brine shrimp lethality test. Of these, the dehydro-beta-peltatin methyl ether 2 (P-388 ED50 1.8 microgm/ml) is reported for the first time as a natural product isolate. The other bioactive compounds were identified as dehydropodophyllotoxin [3], deoxydehydropodophyllotoxin [4]. (--)-yatein [5], 4'-demethyldeoxypodophyllotixin [6], isodeoxypodophyllotoxin [7], deoxypicropodophyllin [8], and beta-apopicropodophyllin [9]. Each of these compounds was evaluated against a panel of cell lines comprising a number of human cancer cell types [breast, colon, fibrosarcoma, lung, prostate, KB, and KB-VI (a multi-drug resistant cell line derived from KB)] and murine lymphocytic leukemia (P-388). Lignans 1-4 showed marginal cytotoxic activity against the human cell lines tested. In contrast, compounds 5-9 demonstrated a general nonspecific activity comparable to that of podophyllotoxin [12] (ED50 < 10-2 microgm/ml). In addition, the antimitotic potential of these compounds was determined in the astrocytoma (ASK) assay. Finally, the plant was also shown to contain the flavonoid sideritoflavone (KB ED50 1.6 microgm/ml) and the known pentacyclic triterpenoids ursolic, maslinic, 2 alpha-hydroxyursolic and oleanolic acids.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Artemia; Candida albicans; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Humans; Leukemia P388; Mexico; Mice; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plants, Medicinal; Podophyllotoxin; Rats