Cytotoxic new furoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Ammi majus L. growing in Egypt

Two alkaloids of the furoquinoline-type were isolated from Ammi majus L.; a new one and was identified as 4-hydro-7-hydroxy-8-methoxyfuroquinoline (1), and the other was isolated for the second time from nature and was identified as 4-hydro-7-hydroxy-8-prenyloxyfuroquinoline (2). The structures of the isolated compounds were established and confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy including ¹H, ¹³C NMR, COSY, HSQC and HMBC, while the exact masses were confirmed by HRESI/MS. The cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds (1 and 2) was evaluated against HepG-2, PC-3, A-549 and MCF-7 and the obtained results suggested selective antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects, with IC₅₀ = 230.2 and 326.5 μM against HepG-2 and MCF-7, respectively, for compound (1). While, compound (2) recorded IC₅₀ = 234.2 μM against MCF-7.