Planta Med 2002; 68(7): 649-652
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32893
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Bioactive Sesquiterpene Lactones from Centaurea Species and their Cytotoxic/Cytostatic Activity Against Human Cell Lines in vitro

Ekaterini Koukoulitsa1 , Helen Skaltsa1 , Anastasia Karioti1 , Costas Demetzos1 , Kostas Dimas2
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, Greece
  • 2Papanicolaou Research Center of Oncology, Department of Biochemistry, St. Savvas Hospital, Athens, Greece
Further Information

Publication History

Received: October 5, 2001

Accepted: January 20, 2002

Publication Date:
22 July 2002 (online)

Abstract

Sesquiterpene lactones isolated from the aerial parts of various species of the genus Centaurea were examined for their in vitro cytotoxic/cytostatic activity against five human cell lines (i. e., DLD1, SF268, MCF7, H460 and OVCAR3). Compounds 1 - 4 were isolated from C. zuccariniana, 5 and 6 from C. achaia, 7 from C. thessala ssp. drakiensis and compounds 8 and 9 from C. deusta. Compound 1, 8α-O-(3,4-dihydroxy-2-methylenebutanoyloxy)dehydromelitensine was found to be the most active, exhibited a considerable growth inhibiting activity against three of the cell lines tested, while compound 5 8α-O-(3-hydroxy-2-methylenepropanoyl)dehydromelitensin exhibited a growth inhibiting effect against most of the tested cell lines. A new eudesmanolide (8α-hydroxysonchucarpolide, 4) was isolated from C. zuccariniana and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

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Prof. Dr. Assist. H Skaltsa

University of Athens

School of Pharmacy

Division of Pharmacognosy

Panepistimiopolis

Zografou

GR-157 71 Athens

Greece

Email: skaltsa@pharm.uoa.gr

Fax: +30108613965

Phone: +30107274593

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