ABSTRACT
Bioassay-guided fractionation of a CHCl3 extract of the leaves of Xanthium italicum Moretti led to the isolation of four xanthanolides: xanthatin (1), 4-epixanthanol (2), 4-epi-isoxanthanol (3), and 2-hydroxyxanthinosin (4). Their structures were determined by means of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, including 1H-1H COSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC experiments, which resulted in complete and unambiguous 1H and 13C NMR chemical shift assignments. The isolated compounds 1-4 were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities, and were demonstrated to exert significant cell growth inhibitory activity against human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), skin carcinoma (A431), and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cells.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Xanthium/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/isolation & purification , Breast Neoplasms , Cell Division/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Female , Flowers/chemistry , HeLa Cells/drug effects , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Roots/chemistry , Plant Stems/chemistryABSTRACT
The aim of this review is to survey the various naturally occurring phenanthrene compounds that have been isolated from different plants. Only one review has previously been published on this topic. Gorham (1989) reviewed the structures, biosynthesis, separations and spectroscopy of stilbenes and phenanthrenes. The present study furnishes an overview of the hydroxy or/and methoxy-substituted 9,10-dihydro/phenanthrenes, methylated, prenylated and other monomeric derivatives, dimeric and trimeric phenanthrenes and their biological activities. A fairly large number of phenanthrenes have been reported from higher plants, mainly in the Orchidaceae family, in the species Dendrobium, Bulbophyllum, Eria, Maxillaria, Bletilla, Coelogyna, Cymbidium, Ephemerantha and Epidendrum. A few phenanthrenes have been found in the Hepaticae class and Dioscoreaceae, Combretaceae and Betulaceae families. Their distribution correlates strongly with the taxonomic divisions. These plants have often been used in traditional medicine, and phenanthrenes have therefore been studied for their cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet aggregation, antiallergic activities and phytotoxicity. On the basis of 120 references, this review covers the phytochemistry and pharmacology of phenanthrenes, describing 252 compounds. This contribution stems from our work on the medicinal plant Tamus communis.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Biological Products/pharmacology , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Parasympatholytics/pharmacology , Phenanthrenes/pharmacology , Animals , Anti-Allergic Agents/chemistry , Anti-Allergic Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Bacteria/drug effects , Biological Products/chemistry , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Humans , Parasympatholytics/chemistry , Phenanthrenes/chemistry , Platelet Aggregation/drug effects , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/chemistry , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/pharmacologyABSTRACT
From the petroleum ether extract of the rhizomes of Tamus communis, the 7-hydroxy-2,3,4,8-tetramethoxyphenanthrene (1) was isolated, together with the known 2,3,4-trimethoxy-7,8-methylenedioxyphenanthrene (2), 3-hydroxy-2,4,-dimethoxy-7,8-methylenedioxyphenanthrene (3), 2-hydroxy-3,5,7-trimethoxyphenanthrene (4) and 2-hydroxy-3,5,7-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (5), through cytotoxic assay guidance. The structures were determined by means of HREIMS, (1)H NMR, JMOD and NOESY experiments. The cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were tested on cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells, with the MTT assay. The results demonstrated that, with the exception of 2, all these compounds displayed pronounced cytotoxic activity; especially 1 and 3 exhibited significant cell growth inhibitory effects, with IC(50)=8.52+/-0.70 and 3.64+/-0.12 microM, respectively.
Subject(s)
Cell Survival/drug effects , Phenanthrenes/isolation & purification , Phenanthrenes/pharmacology , Tamus/chemistry , Combretum/chemistry , HeLa Cells , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Models, Molecular , Molecular Conformation , Phenanthrenes/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Rhizome/chemistryABSTRACT
From the fresh rhizomes of Tamus communis five phenanthrenes (1 - 5) were isolated under the guidance of cytotoxic assays in HeLa cells. The compounds were obtained from the highly active CHCl (3) fraction of the MeOH extract by using multistep chromatographic purifications, including VLC, preparative TLC, HPLC and gel filtration. The compounds were identified by means of EI-mass, UV and NMR spectroscopy as 7-hydroxy-2,3,4-trimethoxyphenanthrene (1), 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (nudol) (2), 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4,8-trimethoxyphenanthrene (3), 3,7-dihydroxy-2,4,8-trimethoxyphenanthrene (confusarin) (4), and 3,7-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (5). Compound 1 is a new natural product, and 2 - 4 were isolated for the first time from T. communis. In the cytotoxic assays, compounds 1 - 3 and 5 significantly inhibited the growth of HeLa cells (IC (50) = 0.97 - 20.18 microM). Compound 3, with an IC (50) value of 0.97 microM, is of special interest because of its high activity.
