TY - JOUR T1 - Cucurbitacins-type triterpene with potent activity on mouse embryonic fi broblast from Cucumis prophetarum, cucurbitaceae JF - Pharmacognosy Research Y1 - 2011 A1 - Seif-Eldin N Ayyad A1 - Ahmed Abdel-Lateff A1 - Salim A Basaif A1 - Thomas Shier KW - Cucumis prophetarum KW - cucurbitacin B KW - dihydrocucurbitacin B KW - mouse embryonic fibroblast and virally transformed form AB -

Background: Higher plants are considered as a well-known source of the potent anticancer metabolites with diversity of chemical structures. For instance, taxol is an amazing diterpene alkaloid had been lunched since 1990. Objective: To isolate the major compounds from the fruit extract of Cucumis prophetarum, Cucurbitaceae, which are mainly responsible for the bioactivities as anticancer. Materials and Methods: Plant material was shady air dried, extracted with equal volume of chloroform/methanol, and fractionated with different adsorbents. The structures of obtained pure compounds were elucidated with different spectroscopic techniques employing 1D ( 1 H and 13 C) and 2D (COSY, HMQC and HMBC) NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry) and ESI-MS (Eelectrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry) spectroscopy. The pure isolates were tested towards human cancer cell lines, mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH3T3) and virally transformed form (KA3IT). Results: Two cucurbitacins derivatives, dihydocucurbitacin B (1) and cucurbitacin B (2), had been obtained. Compounds 1 and 2 showed potent inhibitory activities toward NIH3T3 and KA31T with IC50 0.2, 0.15, 2.5 and 2.0 μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: The naturally cucurbitacin derivatives (dihydocucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin B) showed potent activities towards NIH3T3 and KA31T, could be considered as a lead of discovering a new anticancer natural drug.

VL - 3 IS - 3 ER -