Synthesis and antitumor activity of sacroflavonoside

Abstract

Sacroflavonoside, a new derivative of diphenylethene, was isolated from Artemisia sacrorum, which have been found to possess the inhibitory effect on the proliferation of gastric carcinoma cells (MKN-45) in vitro in our previous studies. With anisaldehyde (SM-A) as starting material, the sacroflavonoside was synthesized by nucleophilic addition, electrophilic substitution and dehydration cyclization. The structure of sacroflavonoside was established by 1 D (¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR) and 2 D-NMR (HSQC and HMBC) spectral analysis. The antitumor activity and potential mechanism against MKN-45 cells of sacroflavonoside were evaluated in vitro. The results showed that sacroflavonoside could significantly induce MKN-45 cells apoptosis and autophagy by increasing the expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Beclin1 and LC3-II proteins and decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 protein at low micromole level. This investigation provided a valuable lead structure for the development of antitumor drugs.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Sacroflavonoside
• Diphenylethene
• Synthesis
• Antitumor activity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81660698). Jazan University for providing grant to conduct this study through Ethnopharmacology Research Group.