title: A DNA strand-nicking principle of a higher plant, Caesalpinia sappan.
abstract: To find anticancer agents from higher plants, DNA strand-scission assay method was employed for bioassay-guided fractionation as well as for screening the crude extracts. During the screening, an ethyl acetate extracts of the heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan L. (Leguminosae) exhibited potent DNA strand-scission activity. Therefore, the ethyl acetate extracts of the dried heartwood of C. sappan was subjected to the bioassay-guided fractionation, which led to the isolation of a known compound, brazilin (1) as the active constituent. In addition, caesalpine J (2) was also isolated as an inactive constituent.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-460, Korea.
authors.forename: Woongchon
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mar
authors.forename: Hyun-Tai
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kang-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Je
authors.forename: Hye-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Eun-Kyoung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D029911:Caesalpinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids / Q000187:drug effects*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001578:Benzopyrans; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D004224:Diterpenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; C051877:caesalpin J; C044362:brazilin