title: Cytotoxic triterpenes from the aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa.
abstract: Six triterpenes, 3beta-acetoxy-12,19-dioxo-13(18)-oleanene (1), 3beta-acetoxy-19(29)-taraxasten-20alpha-ol (2), 3beta-acetoxy-21alpha,22alpha-epoxytaraxastan-20alpha-ol (3), 3,22-dioxo-20-taraxastene (4), 3beta-acetoxy-11alpha,12alpha-epoxy-16-oxo-14-taraxerene (5), 3beta-acetoxy-25-methoxylanosta-8,23-diene (6) along with nine known triterpenes, 3beta-acetoxy-11alpha,12alpha-epoxy-14-taraxerene (7), 3beta-acetoxy-25-hydroxylanosta-8,23-diene (8), oleanonic acid (9), acetylbetulinic acid (10), betulonic acid (11), acetylursolic acid (12), ursonic acid (13), ursolic acid (14), and 3-oxofriedelan-28-oic acid (15) were isolated from the aerial roots of Ficus microcarpa, and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The in vitro cytotoxic efficacy of these triterpenes was investigated using three human cancer cell lines, namely, HONE-1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, KB oral epidermoid carcinoma, and HT29 colorectal carcinoma cells. Compound 8 and pentacyclic triterpenes 9-15 possessing a carboxylic acid functionality at C-28 showed significant cytotoxic activities against the aforementioned cell lines and gave IC50 values in the range 4.0-9.4 microM.
authors.affiliation: Institute of BioAgricultural Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Jang-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ching-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Chi-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsiung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014315:Triterpenes