title: Cytotoxic and insecticidal constituents of the unripe fruit of Persea americana.
abstract: Unripe avocado fruit (Persea americana) was subjected to a bioactivity-directed fractionation, as monitored via the brine shrimp lethality assay, to isolate three major bioactive constituents (1-3). Compounds 1-3 all have a 1,2,4-triol moiety and a long aliphatic chain that terminates as either an alkane, alkene, or alkyne, respectively; 1 is new, while 2 and 3 have been described previously but not as cytotoxic or pesticidal agents. All have activity against six human tumor cell lines in culture and show selectivity for human prostate adenocarcinoma (PC-3) cells with 3 being nearly as potent as adriamycin. Also, when tested against yellow fever mosquito larva, 3 was more effective than rotenone, a natural botanical insecticide and positive control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Oberlies
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001156:Artemia; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007814:Larva; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D007306:Insecticides