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Planta Med 2012; 78(3): 230-232
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1280383
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Letters
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Phytochemical Investigation and In Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation of Alkaloids from Abuta rufescens

Diane S. Swaffar1 , Chad J. Holley1 , Richard W. Fitch2 , Kyle R. Elkin3 , Clarice Zhang3 , Jennifer P. Sturgill3 , Mary D. Menachery3
  • 1College of Pharmacy, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, Utah, USA
  • 2Department of Chemistry and Physics, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, USA
  • 3Department of Chemistry, Penn State Altoona, Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
Further Information

Publication History

received June 4, 2011 revised October 31, 2011

accepted November 2, 2011

Publication Date:
22 November 2011 (online)

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Abstract

A phytochemical investigation of Abuta rufescens was performed to authenticate plant material reported previously and to assess the cytotoxicity of the alkaloids obtained from the plant. Three alkaloids which have not previously been reported from this species, two phenolic (subsessiline, an oxoaporphine, and telitoxine, an azafluoranthene) and one non-phenolic (isoimerubrine, a tropoloisoquinoline), were isolated and identified. These alkaloids, along with others previously isolated from this and another Abuta species (grandirubrine, a tropoloisoquinoline), were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines (HCT-116 colon adenocarcinoma, ACHN renal carcinoma, and A549 lung carcinoma). The tropoloisoquinoline alkaloids (grandirubrine, imerubrine, and isoimerubrine) exhibited the greatest cytotoxicity against the cell lines, especially ACHN and HCT-116 cells. The azafluoranthene alkaloid imeluteine exhibited lesser cytotoxicity, as did one of the oxoaporphine alkaloids.

Key words

tropoloisoquinolines - azafluoranthenes - oxoaporphines - Abuta rufescens/Abuta splendida - Menispermaceae - cytotoxicity

Supporting Information

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Prof. Dr. Diane S. Swaffar

College of Pharmacy
Roseman University of Health Sciences

10 920 South River Front Parkway

South Jordan, Utah 84095

USA

Phone: +1 80 18 78 10 78

Fax: +1 80 13 02 07 68

Email: dswaffar@roseman.edu