New nor-tirucallane triterpenoid with antitumor activity from Ailanthus altissima (mill.) swingle

Phytochemical analysis of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle yielded a new nor-tirucallane triterpenoid, 24,25,26,27-tetranor-3,6-dioxo-tirucalla-7-en-23-oic acid (1). The structure of 1 was unambiguously determined based on NMR technology and ECD calculations. Compound 1 demonstrated moderate inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, with an IC₅₀ of 41.3 ± 2.3 μM. The findings indicate that compound 1 may selectively inhibit triple-negative breast cancer cell lines, as it did not exhibit a significant antiproliferative effect on MCF-7 cells.