Prenylated flavonoids from the root bark of Berchemia discolor, a Tanzanian medicinal plant.

Abstract

Five new prenylated flavonoids (1-5) were isolated from the root bark of Berchemia discolor, collected in Tanzania, along with 10 known compounds, by bioactivity-guided fractionation. The structures of compounds 1-5 were elucidated using various spectroscopic techniques. Of these isolates, compound 4, and the known compounds nitidulin (6), amorphigenin (7), and dabinol (8), exhibited cytotoxic activity when evaluated against a small panel of human cancer cells. Nitidulin (6) was further tested in an in vivo hollow fiber assay and found to be active against LNCaP (human hormone-dependent prostate cancer) cells implanted intraperitoneally, at doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg.

• Authors: Young-Won Chin, Ladislaus K Mdee, Zakaria H Mbwambo, Qiuwen Mi, Hee-Byung Chai, Gordon M Cragg, Steven M Swanson, A Douglas Kinghorn
• Journal: Journal of natural products (J Nat Prod) Vol. 69 Issue 11 Pg. 1649-52 (Nov 2006) ISSN: 0163-3864 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17125241 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Flavonoids

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
• Flavonoids (chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Humans
• Male
• Molecular Structure
• Plant Bark (chemistry)
• Plant Roots (chemistry)
• Plants, Medicinal (chemistry)
• Prostatic Neoplasms
• Rhamnaceae (chemistry)
• Tanzania