Carboline Alkaloids from Psammosilene tunicoides and Their Cytotoxic Activities

Abstract

Five new carboline alkaloids, tunicoidines A–E (1–5), and two known carboline alkaloids, 1-acetyl-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (6) and 1-acetyl-3-carbomethoxyl-β-carboline (7), were isolated for the first time from the root of Psammosilene tunicoides. The structures of the new carboline alkaloids were established on the basis of 1D- and 2D-NMR, and HR-MS spectroscopic analyses. The seven compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against A549, HCT116, ZR-75-30, and HL-60 cell lines. However, only compound 7 had potent cytotoxic activity against the HCT116 cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 9.67 µg/mL, while the others showed no cytotoxic activities against the four tested cell lines.

Key words

Psammosilene tunicoides - Caryophyllaceace - carboline alkaloids - cytotoxic activities

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