Isolation and characterization of cytotxic compounds from endophytes of an endangered american cactus, Mammillaria hahniana

Plant-derived fungi have been shown in recent years to produce a plethora of new bioactive secondary metabolites. Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of an endophytic fungus isolated from the root of Mammillaria hahniana (old lady cactus); an endangered American cactus; were found incredibly to be cytotoxic. While searching for compounds with cytotoxic activity, a number of naphtoquinons include shikonin and shikonin derivatives were separated from ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts using chromatographic methods.

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