title: Cancer chemopreventive activity of phenylpropanoids and phytoquinoids from Illicium plants.
abstract: In our joint project involving search of anti-tumor promoters from natural plant sources, six phenylpropanoids and seven phytoquinoids isolated from three Illicium plants (Illiciaceae) were tested for their inhibitory activities against Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Raji cells. All tested compounds showed inhibitory activity against the EBV-EA activation even at 1 x 10mol ratio, and the inhibitory activity of their compounds was found to be more than that of beta-carotene. Two phenylpropanoids having prenyl group, 4-allyl-2-methoxy-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)phenol (3) and 4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)phenol (4), showed more potent activities as anti-tumor promoters (IC50 224 and 217 mol ratio/TPA, respectively). The presence of a prenyl moiety in the phenylpropanoids plays an important role in anti-tumor promoting activity as xanthone, coumarin and flavonoid previously reported. This investigation indicated that prenylated phenylpropanoids might be valuable as potential cancer chemopreventive agents.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8503, Japan. itoigawa@tokaigakuen-c.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoigawa
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Harukuni
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Enjo
authors.forename: Hoyoku
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018890:Chemoprevention; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029523:Illicium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D020005:Propanols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; C033305:Epstein-Barr virus early antigen; D006873:Hydroquinones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020005:Propanols