Phenylpropanoids and neolignans from Smilax trinervula

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• The Smilax genus is a rich source of bioactive natural products.
• Phytochemical investigation of Smilax trinervula rhizomes is crucial for discovering novel therapeutic agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize new chemical constituents from Smilax trinervula rhizomes.
• To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds against human tumor cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation employing 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS.
• In vitro cytotoxic assays against SH-SY5Y, SGC-7901, HCT-116, Lovo, and Vero cell lines.

Main Results:

• Three new compounds were identified: one phenylpropanoid glucoside (1) and two neolignans (2, 3).
• A new natural product (4) and four known compounds (5-8) were also isolated.
• Compounds 7 and 8 demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against Lovo cells, with IC50 values of 18.7µM and 16.8µM, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified novel phenylpropanoid glycosides and neolignans from Smilax trinervula.
• Compounds 7 and 8 possess notable cytotoxic potential, warranting further investigation for anticancer drug development.