Cytotoxic gelsedine-type indole alkaloids from Gelsemium elegans

Abstract

A chemical investigation on the 95% ethanol extract of the aerial part of Gelsemium elegans resulted in the isolation of three new gelsedine-type indole alkaloids, 14β-hydroxygelselenidine (1), 11-methoxygelseziridine (2), and 14β-hydroxygelsedethenine (3). Structural elucidation of all the compounds was accomplished by spectral methods such as 1 D and 2 D NMR, IR, UV, and HRESIMS. The isolated compounds were tested in vitro for cytotoxic activities against five human non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines. Consequently, alkaloid 3 exhibited cytotoxic activities for all tested tumor cell lines with IC₅₀ values from 8.3 to 9.8 μM.

Keywords:

• Gelsemium elegans
• Loganiaceae
• indole alkaloids
• cytotoxic activity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by Science and Technology Plan Project in Nantong City (No. ms12017005-2).