Canthin-6-one alkaloids from Picrasma quassioides and their cytotoxic activity

Abstract

A new alkaloid, 4,5-dimethoxy-10-hydroxycanthin-6-one (1), was isolated from the stem of Picrasma quassioides Bennet (Simaroubaceae) together with four known canthin-6-one alkaloids, 8-hydroxycanthin-6-one (2), 4,5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one (3), 5-hydroxy-4-methoxycanthin-6-one (4), and 3-methylcanthin-5,6-dione (5). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. The cytotoxic activity of the canthin-6-one alkaloids was evaluated using human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (CNE2) and human liver cancer (Bel-7402) cell lines. Among these isolates, compounds 1–4 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against CNE2 cell line.

Keywords:

• Picrasma quassioides
• Simaroubaceae
• canthin-6-one alkaloids
• cytotoxic activity

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Hunan University for the measurements of NMR and MS spectra, and the XiangYa Hospital for the use of the Laboratory of cell culture.