Planta Med 2012; 78 - PI152
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1320840

Potential anticancer activity of young Carpinus betulus leaves

E Cieckiewicz 1, L Angenot 1, T Gras 2, R Kiss 2, M Frédérich 1
  • 1University of Liège, CIRM, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Liège, Belgium
  • 2Free University of Brussels, Institut of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Campus de la Plaine, Bruxelles, Belgium

As part of our ongoing research for anticancer compounds from the Walloon Region forest1, EtOAc extract from Carpinus betulus leaves was phytochemically studied, leading to the bioguided isolation of pheophorbide a. Evaluation of the growth inhibitory activities of pheophorbide a using MTT colorimetric assay and phase-contrast microscopy in various human cancer cell lines confirmed its photoactivable properties2. To improve these properties, the 20-meso position of pheophorbide a was halogenated (Cl or Br or F) and the resulting 20-halogenated pheophorbide a were also evaluated for their growth inhibitory activities.

1Frédérich M, Marcowycz A, Cieckiewicz E, Mégalizzi V, Angenot L, Kiss R. Planta Med 2009,

75, 1634–1637.

2 Cieckiewicz E, Angenot L, Gras T, Kiss R, Frédérich M, Phytomedicine 2012, 19, 272–283.