Anticancer triterpenoid pentacyclics from the leaves of erythrina variegate

Abstract

The leaves of Erythrina variegata (Leguminosae) were commonly used as traditional medicine for anticancer. In the course of our continuing search for novel anticancer compound from Erythrina plants, the methanol extract of the leaves of E. variegata showed significant anticancer activity in vitro toward breast cancer cell-lines using the Sulphorhodamine B (SRB) method. The investigation concerning acute toxicity of methanol extract of the leaves ofE. variegata which administrated orally to mice had been carried out. The methanol extract was separated by bioassay-guide fractionation. The result of the methanol extract, n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions showed against of breast cancer cell-lines with ICso of 43.7, >100, and 22.9 Ilg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, by using the anticancer activity to follow separation, the ethyl acetate fraction was separated by combination of column chromatography to yield three active compounds (1-3). The chemical structure of active compounds (1-3) were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidences and comparison with those previously reported and identified as triterpenoid pentacyclic derivate. The active compounds (1-3) showed anticancer activity against of breast cancer cell-lines with ICso of 6.0; 6.5 and 3.2 Ilg/ml, rpectively. LD50 of the methanol extract is 26.149 g extract/kg mice body weight. The toxicity is categorized as nor toxic.