Gerardiins A–L and Structurally Related Phenanthrenes from the Halophyte Plant Juncus gerardii and Their Cytotoxicity against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Species in the Juncaceae accumulate different types of secondary metabolites, among them phenanthrenes and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrenes in substantial amounts. These compounds have chemotaxonomic significance and also possess interesting pharmacological activities. The present study has focused on the isolation, structure determination, and pharmacological investigation of phenanthrenes from Juncus gerardii . Twenty-six compounds, including 23 phenanthrenes, have been isolated from a methanol extract of this plant. Twelve compounds, the phenanthrenes gerardiins A-L ( 1 - 12 ), were obtained as new natural products. Eleven phenanthrenes [effusol ( 13 ), dehydroeffusol ( 14 ), effususin A ( 15 ), compressin A, 7-hydroxy-2-methoxy-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, juncusol, 2-hydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-5-vinyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, 2,7-dihydroxy-5-formyl-1-methyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, effususol A, 2,7-dihydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, and jinflexin C], 1- O - p -coumaroyl-3- O -feruloyl-glycerol, and the flavones apigenin and luteolin were isolated for the first time from this plant. The cytotoxicity of the 23 isolated phenanthrenes in both mouse (4T1) and human (MDA-MB-231) triple-negative breast cancer cells and in a nontumor (D3, human cerebral microvascular endothelial) cell line was tested using an MTT viability assay. The results obtained showed that the dimeric compounds gerardiins I ( 9 ), J ( 10 ), K ( 11 ), and L ( 12 ), derived biogenetically from effusol and dehydroeffusol, were cytotoxic to both tumor and nontumor cell lines, while the monomeric compounds exerted no or very low cytotoxicity. Impedance measurements were consistent with the results of the MTT assays performed.