Planta Med 2008; 74 - P-81
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1075277

Antiproliferative Hydroquinones of Poupartiacaffra from the Madagascar Rainforest

Y Hou 1, S Cao 1, P Brodie 1, F Ratovoson 2, MW Callmander 2, E Rakotobe 3, VE Rasamison 3, DGI* Kingston 1
  • 1Department of Chemistry, M/C 0212, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0212, USA
  • 2Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299, USA
  • 3Missouri Botanical Garden, BP 3391, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
  • 4Centre National d'Application des Recherches Pharmaceutiques, B.P. 702, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar

Bioassay-directed separation of an ethanol extract of Poupartia caffra (anacardiceae) led to the isolation of a mixture of three compounds, two new hydroquinones (1–2) and one known hydroquinone (3). The three compounds could not be separated on the Si and diol HPLC columns and were only detected by GC/MS. The structures of the isolates were established on the basis of interpretation of their 1D, 2D NMR and GC/MS spectroscopic data and chemical modifications. The mixture of the three compounds was tested against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, and it showed significant activity with an IC50 value of 0.57 µg/mL. Acknowledgements: This project was supported by the Fogarty International Center, the National Cancer Institute, the National Science Foundation, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Office of Dietary Supplements, and the Office of the Director of NIH, under Cooperative Agreement U01 TW000313 with the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups, and this support is gratefully acknowledged.