Abstract
The crude ethanol extract from the leaves of Dendropanax cf. querceti (Araliaceae) from Monteverde, Costa Rica, exhibits cytotoxic activity against Hep-G2,
A-431, and H-4IIE tumor cell lines. The active component has been isolated by activity-directed
separation and identified by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy as the triterpene lupeol. The mechanism of cytotoxic activity of
lupeol has been determined to be inhibition of topoisomerase II.