Planta Med 2008; 74 - PB156
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084500

Phytochemical and biological studies on Acanthus hirsutus Boiss

US Harput-Hudaverdi 1, A Nagatsu 2, I Saracoglu 1
  • 1Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, TR-06100 Ankara, Turkey
  • 2College of Pharmacy, Kinjo Gakuin University, Ohmori 2–1723, Nagoya 463–8521, Japan

Acanthus L. is a genus of 30 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae and represented by five species in Turkish flora [1]. Some of the Acanthus species are used as a herbal remedy for various ailments such as cough, chest pain, snake bite, paralysis, asthma, stomach upset, urinary disorders and rheumatic pains in different countries [2, 3]. The titled plant, Acanthus hirsutus Boiss. is endemic for Turkey and used as expectorant, for wound healing and against constipation in Anatolia [4]. There is no phytochemical or biological record in the literature for this species up to now. After serial chromatographies of the methanol extract of the plant, three lignan glucosides (-)-syringaresinol-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, (-)-medioresinol-di-O- β -D-glucopyranoside, (-)-pinoresinol-4'-O- β -D-glucopyranoside), two benzoxazinoids (4-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one, (2R)-2-O- β -D-glucopyranosyl-4-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one), four phenylethanoid glycosides (acteoside, martynoside, leucosceptoside A, hattushoside) and two phenylpropanoid glucosides (sinapyl aldehyde-4-O- β -D-glucopyranoside, sinapyl alcohol-4-O- β -D-glucopyranoside) were isolated. Aqueous A. hirsutus extract (IC50=201–700µg/ml) and its isolated compounds (IC50=11.17–262.42µg/ml) showed significant cytotoxic activity in vitro against Hep-2, RD and L20B cell lines in MTT assay. Their radical scavenging activities were also found against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC50=86.30µg/ml for the extract, IC50=10–200µg/ml for the compouds.

Acknowledgements: This study was supported by Hacettepe University Research Foundation (Project No: 02–02–301007 and 0302301010).

References: 1. Davis PH. (1978) Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. pp 23–27 University Press. Edinburgh.

2. Adeyemi, O.O. et al. (2004)J. Ethnopharm. 90: 45–48.

3. Babu, B.H. et.al. (2002)J. Ethnopharm.79: 27–33

4. Baytop T. (1984) Therapy with Medicinal Plants in Turkey (Past and Present). pp. 370 Publications of Istanbul University. Istanbul.