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New alkaloids from Cephalotaxus fortunei
Mamadou Bocar1, Akino Jossang, Bernard Bodo
1Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, ESA 8041, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 63 Rue Buffon 75005 Paris, France.
Journal of Natural Products
|January 25, 2003
Summary
Four new cephalotaxus alkaloids were discovered from Cephalotaxus fortunei fruits. These compounds, including novel N-oxides and isocephalotaxine, show significant cytotoxicity against nasopharynx KB cells.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Cephalotaxus species are a known source of bioactive alkaloids.
- Alkaloids from this genus have demonstrated various pharmacological activities.
- Investigating new compounds from Cephalotaxus fortunei is crucial for drug discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize new alkaloids from the fruits of Cephalotaxus fortunei.
- To evaluate the cytotoxic potential of the isolated compounds against nasopharynx KB cells.
Main Methods:
- Extraction of Cephalotaxus fortunei fruits using ethyl acetate.
- Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
- Structure elucidation via mass spectrometry and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Four new cephalotaxus alkaloids were identified: cephalotaxine alpha-N-oxide (1), cephalotaxine beta-N-oxide (2), 11-beta-hydroxycephalotaxine beta-N-oxide (3), and isocephalotaxine (4).
- Several known alkaloids were also isolated.
- Compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 exhibited cytotoxicity against nasopharynx KB cells with IC50 values ranging from 14 to 31 micro g/mL.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully identified novel cephalotaxus alkaloids with cytotoxic properties.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of Cephalotaxus fortunei's chemical constituents and their potential therapeutic applications.
- The isolated compounds warrant further investigation for their anticancer potential.