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Phytochemistry and preliminary biological evaluation of Cyathostemma argenteum , a malaysian plant used traditionally for the treatment of breast cancer
Author(s) -
Khamis Shafii,
Bibby Michael C.,
Brown John E.,
Cooper Patricia A.,
Scowen Ian,
Wright Colin W.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.1318
Subject(s) - phytochemistry , brine shrimp , breast cancer , context (archaeology) , biology , cytotoxicity , mcf 7 , cancer cell lines , bioassay , cytotoxic t cell , traditional medicine , cancer , botany , cancer cell , pharmacology , human breast , in vitro , ecology , genetics , medicine , paleontology
Bioassay guided fractionation of the roots of Cyathostemma argenteum using the brine shrimp resulted in the isolation of two uncommon avanones, 2,5‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxyavanone 1 and 2,5‐dihydroxy‐6,7‐dimethoxyavanone 2 while the stem bark yielded the related compounds 5‐hydroxy‐7‐methoxyavone 3 and 5‐hydroxy‐6,7‐dimethoxyavone 4. The alkaloids liriodenine 5 and discretamine 6 as well as benzyl benzoate 7 were isolated from the roots and 6 was also isolated from the stembark. In cytotoxicity tests using four human breast cancer cell lines, 1 and 2 were weakly toxic to MCF‐7 cells (IC 50 = 19.6 and 19.0 µ m , respectively) but showed little activity against MCF‐7 cells resistant to doxorubicin or against two oestrogen receptor‐decient cell lines. Compound 5, but not 6 and 7, was moderately cytotoxic against all four cell lines. These results are discussed in the context of the traditional use of C. argenteum in the treatment of breast cancer. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.