title: Synthesis of plumbagin derivatives and their inhibitory activities against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in vivo and Leishmania donovani Promastigotes in vitro.
abstract: Plumbagin, a plant-derived bioactive naphthoquinonoid compound, was converted to a hydroquinonoid derivative, which was studied for its tumour-inhibitory and antileishmanial activities for the first time. A similar chemical transformation was undertaken on an analogous dimeric compound, diospyrin, and its bioassay results were compared with those of the plumbagin derivative. Synthesis of the derivative of plumbagin did not result in a marked enhancement of the tumour-inhibitory activity, whereas the improvement was obvious in the case of diospyrin vis à vis its hydroquinonoid analogue. The conversion of diospyrin to the hydroquinonoid compound also led to a substantial increase in the antileishmanial activity, while a similar conversion of plumbagin failed to do so.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700 032, India.
authors.forename: Banasri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hazra
authors.forename: Rajes
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Saswati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: Prabir K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chel
authors.forename: Biswanath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dinda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D029606:Plumbaginaceae
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D010936:Plant Extracts; C043546:diospyrin; C014758:plumbagin