title: Photocytotoxic pheophorbide-related compounds from Aglaonema simplex.
abstract: In our screening program for new photosensitizers from the Malaysian biodiversity, we found five pheophorbide-related compounds from the leaves and stems of Aglaonema simplex. Detailed spectroscopic analyses showed that compounds 1-3 and 5 are pheophorbide and hydroxy pheophorbide derivatives of chlorophyll a and b. Compound 4, identified as 15(1)-hydroxypurpurin-7-lactone ethyl methyl diester, was isolated for the first time from the Araceae family. An MTT-based short-term survival assay showed that all five compounds exhibit moderate-to-strong photocytotoxic activities towards human leukemia (HL60) and two oral squamous carcinoma cell lines (HSC-2 and HSC-3). Compounds 4 and 5 showed the strongest photocytotoxicities, with IC(50) values of 0.30-0.41 muM (Table 2). Compounds 1-3 with Et chains at C(17(3)) were less photocytotoxic than the parent pheophorbide a (5).
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation, Level 2 Subang Jaya Medical Centre, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chin-Fei
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Hong Boon
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hean Chooi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Anthony Siong-Hock
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D029064:Araceae; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018547:Plant Stems
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002734:Chlorophyll; C032623:pheophorbide a