Three Alkaloids as Selective Destroyers of Cancer Cells in Mice

Abstract

Alstonine, serpentine and sempervirine, when used at appropriate concentrations cure a relatively important proportion of BALB/C mice inoculated with transplantable YC8 lymphoma ascites cells, as well as Swiss mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. The development of some solid tumors was only partially prevented. However, when one alkaloid was administered in association with either 5-FU, daunorubicin, 1-(2-chloroethyl) nitrosourea (CCNU) or cyclophospahmide (CP) to mice bearing either ascites carcinoma cells or solid tumors, a high rate of cure was obtained without toxicity. The role of the three alkaloids in the curing of mice and prevention of carcinogenesis is discussed.

The anticancer agent PB-100, selectively active on malignant cells, inhibits multiplication of sixteen malignant cell lines, even multidrug resistant

“…Flavopereirine exhibited the strongest effect on tumor cells; it differs from its dihydro derivative by having two charged nitrogen atoms which enable it to behave as a dipolar zwitterion, a condition which apparently facilitates its activity in comparison to that of its dihydro form, at intracellular conditions. Because low doses of conventional chemotherapeutic agents or of radiation contribute to H-bond cleavage, thus facilitating PB-100 binding to cancer DNA (Beljanski and Beljanski, 1986), this anticancer agent, used in synergy with classic treatments, has led to improved results. Because of its selectivity for tumor cells, absence of adverse effects on normal cells, and indifference to malignant cell drug resistance, PB-100 should find a place in anticancer strategy.…”

“…We demonstrated experimentally that our anticancer agent PB-100 selectively destroys cancer cells, but has no effect on their normal (non-malignant) counterparts (Beljanski and Bugiel, 1978;Beljanski, 1979Beljanski, , 1983Beljanski and Beljanski, 1982, 1984, 1986. Moreover, it has proven to be active, in vitro, on the highly malignant U251 glioblastoma cells, which are both radio-and BCNU-resistant (Beljanski et al, 1993;Beljanski and Crochet, 1994).…”

Potential Plant Growth-Promoting Activity of Pseudomonas sp Isolated from Paddy Soil in Malaysia as Biocontrol Agent

“…The plant is traditionally being used in fever [3], cancer, tumour, jaundice, hepatitis, malaria and skin diseases [4]. One of the important alkaloid present in the plant called alstonine [5] was reported to have anticancerous property [6,7].…”

5,5’-Biindole

“…Natural indoloquinolizines have been reported to inhibit DNA synthesis in cancer cell lines [14][15][16]. In this regard, alstonine 1, serpentine 2 and sempervirine 4 (Scheme 1), were shown to protect BALB/c and Swiss mice from cancer induced by YC8 lymphoma and Ehrlich carcinoma cells, respectively [15].…”