Cytotoxic and potential anticancer constituents from the stems ofSchisandra pubescens

Abstract

Context: The diethyl ether extract of the stems of Schisandra pubescens Hemsl. et Wils. (Schisandraceae) was found to exhibit cytotoxic activity in vitro. However, investigations of the bioactive constituents of this plant have been very limited. Objective: Elucidation of the cytotoxic constituents of S. pubescens was performed. Methods: Repeated silica gel column chromatography and preparative TLC were used for the chemical investigation of the diethyl ether extract of S. pubescens stems. All isolates were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against A549, PC-3, KB and KBvin human cancer cell lines. Results: Nine known compounds were obtained, including four lignans, epischisandrone (1), tigloylgomisin P (2), cagayanone (3) and (À)-gomisin L 2 (4), together with five triterpenoids, micranoic acid B (5), lancifodilactone H (6), coccinic acid (7), schisanlactone B (8) and anwuweizonic acid (9). Compounds 2-6 and 8 showed moderate to marginal cytotoxicity, with GI 50 values of 11.83-35.65 mM. Conclusion: The isolation of 1-9 from S. pubescens and the cytotoxicities of 3-6 are first reported. Compounds 2-6 and 8 could be the active principles responsible for the anticancer effects of S. pubescens.

Analysis of the biodistribution of natural products in mice by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

“…Natural products are small chemical molecules produced by living organisms, such as plants, microbes, and animals [1]. Notably, more than twenty thousand natural products can be obtained from plants, including medicinal plantderived chemical compounds called phytochemicals and their metabolites, which are widely and actively used as drugs in clinical medicine due to their diverse pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-viral activities with little to no toxicity [2][3][4][5][6]. Therefore, a multitude of research efforts are being undertaken to analyze their bioactivity in the body to facilitate therapeutic target validation [2].…”