Cytotoxic activity of acetogenins and styryl lactones isolated from Goniothalamus undulatus Ridl. root extracts against a lung cancer cell line (COR-L23).

An investigation of the chemical constituents in a dichloromethnae extract of Goniothalamus undulatus root led to the isolation of three known styryl lactones (5-acetoxyisogoniothalamin oxide, O-acetylaltholactone and altholactone), and four known annonaceous acetogenins (annonacin, cis-annonacin, goniothalamicin and cis-goniothalamicin). These compounds were subjected to a sulphorhodamine B (SRB) cytotoxicity assay against human large cell lung carcinoma (COR-L23), and normal human fetal fibroblast (MRC-5), cell lines. The isolated acetogenins showed higher cytotoxic activity against COR-L23 compared to the styryl lactones, with IC50 values in the range of 0.5-1.7 µM and 7.4-15.4 µM, respectively. A similar pattern of cytotoxicity was also observed against the other cell line (MRC-5); acetogenins IC50 values were in the range of 11.8-31.4 µM, and those for styryl lactones were in the range of 48.7-102.8 µM. This is the first report of a bioassay-guided isolation of chemical constituents from G. undulatus and on cytotoxic studies of the isolated compounds using these particular lung cancer cell lines.

Alkaloids and limonoids from Bouchardatia neurococca: systematic significance.

Five alkaloids, four beta-indoloquinazoline and one furoquinoline, and four terpenoids, three limonoids and one modified sesquiterpene, have been obtained from the aerial parts of Bouchardatia neurococca (Rutaceae). Two of the alkaloids, 1,2-dihydroxyrutaecarpine and 2-(2-[3-formylindolyl])-(3H)-quinazolin-4-one (bouchardatine), and two of the limonoids, 23-oxo-21xi-hydroxy-21,23-dihydroveprisone (veprisonic acid) and 21-oxo-23xi-hydroxy-21,23-dihydroveprisone (isoveprisonic acid) are new. The pattern of secondary metabolites isolated is rather unusual in the Rutaceae and is reminiscent of Tetradium, a genus with which Bouchardatia has not previously been associated.

Flavanone, triterpene and chromene derivatives from the stems of Paramignya griffithii.

Five compounds, including three that are novel, were isolated from the stems of Paramignya grifithii (Rutaceae). Two new and one known prenylated flavanones were characterized as 3',4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-8-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-furano(4",5":6,5)-flava-adicin. In addition, a triterpene, 3-oxo-tirucalla-7,24-diene-21-al, and a novel chromene, 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran, were identified.