Prenylated Chalcones From Roots of Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria L.) With Antiproliferative Activity

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria L.) is a traditional medicinal plant with limited current phytotherapy use.
• Medicinal applications of kidney vetch roots remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the chemical constituents of Anthyllis vulneraria L. roots.
• To evaluate the antiproliferative activity of root extracts and isolated compounds.

Main Methods:

• Solvent partition of root extracts followed by HPLC-ESI-(HR)MSⁿ and GC-MS analysis.
• Isolation of compounds using preparative chromatography and structural elucidation via NMR.
• Assessment of antiproliferative activity against liver, breast, and thyroid carcinoma cell lines.

Main Results:

• Prenylated chalcones, flavones, isoflavones, and cinnamic acid derivatives were identified.
• A novel chalcone (23) and kanzonol C (24) were isolated.
• The ethyl acetate extract and kanzonol C showed significant antiproliferative effects on MDA-MB468 breast carcinoma cells (IC₅₀ = 5.97 µM).

Conclusions:

• Anthyllis vulneraria L. root extracts are rich in prenylated chalcones.
• Kanzonol C and other related compounds exhibit promising antiproliferative properties.
• These chalcones represent potential lead structures for developing novel anticancer agents.