Identification and quantification of the active component quercetin 3-O-rutinoside from Barringtonia racemosa, targets mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

Barringtonia racemosa has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The antitumor property of the seed extract of this plant in mice model promotes us to search for the active component present in the fruit extract. Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (QOR) has been isolated from the fruits of this plant for the first time and quantified by HPLC method. The compound was identified by IR, mass, and NMR (1D, 2D) spectral data analysis. QOR showed dose- and time-dependent anti-proliferative activity in several leukemic cell lines with negligible effect on normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC). A representative T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (MOLT-3) showed phosphatidyl serine externalization and DNA fragmentation, indicating QOR-induced programed cell death. We established that QOR-induced apoptosis occurred preferentially on accumulation of cells in the sub-G₀ phase and genomic DNA fragmentation through the activation of mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade for the first time in T-lineage ALL cell line.

Keywords:

• Barringtonia racemosa
• Lecythidaceae
• quercetin 3-O-rutinoside
• acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• mitochondrial apoptosis

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledged the Department of Biotechnology (GAP-235) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India, for their financial support.

Notes

^1. Both Dr Bikas C. Pal and Dr Chitra Mandal are joint senior authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chitra Mandal

1. 1. Both Dr Bikas C. Pal and Dr Chitra Mandal are joint senior authors.