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Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Glycosphingolipid Antigens
Published on: April 16, 2013
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Cytotoxic glucosphingolipid from Celtis Africana
Shagufta Perveen1, Areej Mohammad Al-Taweel1, Ghada Ahmed Fawzy2
1Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Pharmacognosy Magazine
|June 26, 2015
Summary
Celtis africana yielded a new cytotoxic glucosphingolipid, compound 1. Both the ethyl acetate fraction and compound 1 demonstrated significant anti-cancer activity in cell line studies.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional South African use of Celtis africana bark and roots for cancer treatment.
- Celtis africana is a plant species within the Ulmaceae family.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize compounds from Celtis africana.
- To evaluate the cytotoxic potential of plant fractions and isolated compounds against cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of compounds using solvent fractionation (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol).
- Structure elucidation of isolated compound 1 using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.
- Cytotoxicity assessment using the microculture tetrazolium assay on mouse lymphoma cell line L5178Y.
Main Results:
- A novel glucosphingolipid, designated compound 1, was successfully isolated from Celtis africana aerial parts.
- Compound 1 and the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against L5178Y cells.
- EC50 values were 7.8 μg/mL for compound 1 and 8.3 μg/mL for the ethyl acetate fraction, comparable to the positive control Kahalalide F.
Conclusions:
- This study reports the first isolation of a cytotoxic glucosphingolipid from the Ulmaceae family.
- The findings support the traditional use of Celtis africana and highlight its potential as a source of anti-cancer agents.
