Cytotoxic Activity of Sesquiterpenoids Isolated from Endemic Ferula tenuissima Hub.-Mor & Peşmen

This was a phytochemical study of endemic Ferula tenuissima roots and determined the cytotoxic activity of pure compounds on PC-3.

Air-dried and powdered roots of F. tenuissima (1 kg) were extracted consecutively with n-hexane, chloroform (CHCl₃), and methanol (MeOH) (3×2 L, each) by sonication at 30°C for 24 h. The extracts were then filtered. The solvents were separately evaporated under reduced pressure to dryness. The compounds were isolated by chromatographic methods and their structures were determined by spectral methods (1D and 2D NMR and LC-MS). The compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activities versus the PC-3 cell line by WST assay.

A phytochemical investigation of the dried roots of endemic F. tenuissima was performed and three sesquiterpene esters were isolated. The daucane-type sesquiterpenes teferidin, ferutinin, and elaeochytrin-A were identified. In the bioactivity study, ferutinin exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 19.7 μM.

The results indicate that the main compounds of F. tenuissima roots are daucane sesquiterpenes and ferutinin has a potential effect on PC-3 cells.