Ferula vesceritensis is a plant that is used in the
traditional medicine in Algeria. Chromatographic investigation of the
methylene chloride/
methanol extract of the aerial parts of F. vesceritensis afforded a crystal
carotene sesquiterpene designed
lapiferin (10alpha-acetoxy-6alpha-angeloyloxy-8alpha,9alpha-epoxy-trans-caxotan-4beta-ol) for the first time from this species. The structure was determined by comprehensive NMR studies, including DEPT, COSY, NOE,
HMQC, HMBC and HRMS, and X-ray data of
lapiferin. We report here for the first time the isolation of
lapiferin from F. vesceritensis as a new natural source, and we additionally report the first X-ray data for
lapiferin. We also report for the first time the specific anti-
cancer activity of
lapiferin against human
breast cancer cells (MCF-7), which is due to apoptosis and not
necrosis. Moreover, we have identified for the first time the cell death pathway induced by
lapiferin in human
breast cancer cells, and also that
lapiferin evokes multiple consequences that trigger apoptotic cell death, involving the enhancement of DNA fragmentation, the activation of
caspases and the induction of
histone acetylation in MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, we record here F. vesceritensis as a new natural source of
lapiferin and its first X-ray analysis, and the promising specific anti-
cancer activity against human
breast cancer of
lapiferin and accordingly F. vesceritensis extract.