Chemical constituents and in vitro anticancer activity of Typhonium flagelliforme (Araceae).
OBJECTIVE
Typhonium flagelliforme is an indigenous plant of Malaysia and is used by the local communities to treat cancer. This study aims to identify the chemical constituents of Typhonium flagelliforme particularly those which have antiproliferative properties towards human cancer cell lines.


METHODS
Purification of the chemical constituents by various chromatographic procedures was guided by the antiproliferative activity. Identification of the chemical constituents was carried out by various spectroscopic techniques including high resolution MS and NMR. The antiproliferative activity was assayed using MTT on NCI-H23 (lung cancer) and HS578T (breast cancer) cell lines. Microscopic observation and DeadEnd colourimetric TUNEL assay was used to identify the apoptotic mode of cell death.


CONCLUSIONS
Four pheophorbide related compounds, namely pheophorbide-a, pheophorbide-a', pyropheophorbide-a and methyl pyropheophorbide-a were identified in the most active fraction, D/F19. These constituents exhibited antiproliferative activity against cancer cells and the activity increased following photoactivation. However, the greater antiproliferative activity exhibited by D/F19 itself compared to the pheophorbides and its other subfractions suggests some form of synergistic action between the constituents. The inhibitory effect of D/F19 and the pheophorbides was apoptotic in the absence of light. Other chemical constituents that have been identified in this study include hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, campesterol, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol. Most of the chemical constituents identified in this plant have not been reported previously.
Lai
Choon-Sheen
CS
Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.
Mas
Rosemal H M H
RH
Nair
N K
NK
Mansor
S M
SM
Navaratnam
V
V
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D029064:Araceae; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts