Sesquiterpene lactones from Ferula oopoda and their cytotoxic properties

Abstract

Two new sesquiterpene lactones, namely feruhodin A (1) and feruhodin B (2), together with six known compounds, daucoeudesmanolactone (4), dehydrooopodin (5), oopodin (6), badkhysin (3), 7-demethylplastochromenol (7), and scoparone (8), were isolated from the roots of Ferula oopoda. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR techniques as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry. Cytotoxic effects of these compounds were evaluated against two human cancer cell lines including MCF7and K562 using the Alamar blue assay. The results showed that dehydrooopodin (5) possessed significant cytotoxic effects with IC₅₀ values of 15 and 5 μM against MCF7 and K562, respectively.

Keywords::

• Ferula
• Apiaceae
• cytotoxic
• Alamar blue
• dehydrooopodin
• sesquiterpene lactones

Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by grants from the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Research Council (No. 910421) and Iran National Science Foundation (No. 91057374). This study was also a part of the dissertation of Mrs Fatemeh Ebrahimi for the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy submitted to the School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.