Cytotoxic evaluation of sarcodifurines A and B, two novel dihydrofuroquinolines from Sarcomelicope follicularis (Rutaceae)

Abstract

Sarcodifurines A and B are two original dihydrofuroquinolines isolated from Sarcomelicope follicularis, a New Caledonian tree. The cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity of these two alkaloids were investigated against 8 distinct cell lines representative of the most frequent solid tumors developing in human. Cytotoxicity of sarcodifurines was low on the 8 cell lines, with, for example, less than 10% of the total cells killed after 24 h exposure at 10 μM and IC₅₀ ≈ 7.10^{− 5} M (MCF-7 and MDA MB 231 cell lines). Proliferation studies confirmed that sarcodifurines had a weak effect on cancer cells growth, with less than 5% growth inhibition at 10 μM. Sarcodifurine A activity was comparable to that of Sarcodifurine B, in term of cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity on all cell lines. In spite of the weak activity of sarcodifurines and furoquinolines, rationalized pharmacomodulations to obtain planar analogs could lead to efficient topoisomerases inhibitors and DNA intercalants.

• Sarcomelicope follicularis
• alkaloids
• furoquinolines
• cytotoxicity

Acknowledgements

A large part of us thank the “Ligue Nationale Contre le cancer” for financial support: E.C. and T.B. for the. “Comité de Haute Normandie” and L.P. for the “Comité de Charente-Maritime.” C.G. and D.G. thank “Ouest Génopole” and the “Celchip/imaging platform” supported by the “Canceropôle Grand Ouest”.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.