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Planta Med 2009; 75(10): 1152-1156
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1185483
Natural Product Chemistry
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cytotoxic Phenanthroindolizidine Alkaloids from the Roots of Ficus septica

Amooru G. Damu1 , Ping-Chung Kuo2 , Li-Shian Shi2 , Chia-Ying Li1 , Chung-Ren Su1 , Tian-Shung Wu1
  • 1Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 2Department of Biotechnology, National Formosa University, Yunlin, Taiwan
Further Information

Publication History

received April 17, 2008 revised February 3, 2009

accepted February 17, 2009

Publication Date:
18 March 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Activity-monitored fractionation of the CHCl3 solubles of the MeOH extract of the roots of Ficus septica using cytotoxicity assay led to the isolation of twenty phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids, including ten new ficuseptines E–N (1–10) and ten known compounds. The cytotoxic effects of some of the isolates were tested on gastric adenocarcinoma (NUGC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (HONE-1) cell lines and the results demonstrated that, with the exception of dehydrotylophorine, all the tested compounds displayed pronounced cytotoxic activity with significant cell growth inhibitory effects. In addition, 13aR-antofine was found to be highly effective with ED50 values of < 0.1 µg/mL against L-1210, P-388, A-549 and HCT-8 cell lines in another assay.

Key words

Ficus septica - Moraceae - phenanthroindolizidines - cytotoxicity - ficuseptine

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Prof. Tian-Shung Wu

Department of Chemistry
National Cheng Kung University

1Ta-Shiueh Rd.

Tainan 701

Taiwan

R. O. C.

Phone: + 88 6 62 74 75 38

Fax: + 88 6 62 74 05 52

Email: tswu@mail.ncku.edu.tw

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