In vitro cytotoxic activity of isolated acridones alkaloids from Zanthoxylum leprieurii Guill. et Perr
- Bioorg Med Chem. 2010 May 15;18(10):3601-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2010.03.040.
- 1. Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon. [email protected]
Chemical investigation of the roots and fruits of Zanthoxylumleprieurii Guill. et Perr. led to the isolation of three new Alkaloids including two acridone derivatives, 3-hydroxy-1,4-dimethoxy-10-methyl-9-acridone (2) and 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethoxy-10-methyl-9-acridone (3) named helebelicine A and B, respectively, and one secobenzo[c]phenantridine, 10-O-demethyl-12-O-methylarnottianamide (10), together with thirteen Other compounds. The structures of compounds 2, 3 and 10 as well as those of the known compounds were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with reported data. The brine-shrimp (artemia salina) lethality bioassay of the chloroform extract of the fruits showed modest cytotoxicity with LD(50) at 13.1microg/mL. Isolated compounds 1, 4-6 were found to be moderately active against lung carcinoma cells (A549), colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (DLD-1) and normal cells (WS1) with IC(50) values ranging from 27 to 77microM. In contrast to the positive control etoposide used, the cytotoxicity of the most active compound 4 was found to be selective against Cancer cells in comparison to normal cells WS1 with IC(50) of 51+/-8microM and 4.3+/-0.4microM, respectively.