title: Cytotoxic activity of sesquiterpenoids from Atractylodes ovata on leukemia cell lines.
abstract: The rhizome of Atractylodes ovata (Bai Zhu in Chinese) is a widely used traditional Chinese herb in Taiwan as a tonic agent. In this paper, four sesquiterpenoids, namely atractylon, and atractylenolides I, II, and III, were isolated from the n-hexane extract of A. ovata and were evaluated for cytotoxic effects in vitro. Atractylon significantly inhibited the growth of human leukemia cell line HL-60 and mouse leukemia cell line P-388, and showed low cytotoxicity against primary cultures of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 15 microg/ml for 12 h. Atractylon had a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on the two tumor cell lines. In accordance with DNA fragment increases and PARP protein decreases, atractylon at 15 microg/ml for 6 h induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Moreover, atractylon inhibited the viability of P-388 cells and induced apoptosis after 15 microg/ml treatment for 12 h in an in vitro assay. However, atractylenolide I at 30 microg/ml for 12 h also induced apoptosis in HL-60 and P-388 cells, but atractylenolides II and III showed no significant inhibition effects on tumor cell growth. As the above results suggested, atractylon and atractylenolide I were the major cytotoxic principle constituents of A. ovata on leukemia cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ching-Chiung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lih-Geeng
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019659:Asteraceae; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018922:HL-60 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007783:Lactones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011506:Proteins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C424804:atractylenolide I; C458582:atractylenolide II; C424802:atractylenolide III; C046196:atractylon