Neoandrographolide from Andrographis paniculata as a potential natural chemosensitizer

Extracts of the traditional medicinal herb Andrographis paniculata and its main constituents are described in the literature as showing anticancer activity. The aim of this study was to isolate the main constituents of a commercially available phytotherapeutic preparation of A. paniculata and to determine their chemosensitizing potential in a leukemia cell line. Chromatographic separation steps resulted in the isolation of the diterpenes andrographolide (1) and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (3) and the diterpene glucoside neoandrographolide (2). The combination of these constituents with suboptimal concentrations of etoposide revealed compound 2 as chemosensitizer in S-Jurkat and X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP)-overexpressing Jurkat cells, a model for chemoresistance.