title: Isolation and structure determination of a sesquiterpene lactone (vernodalinol) from Vernonia amygdalina extracts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vernonia amygdalina Del. (VA; Asteraceae or Compositae) is a small tree growing throughout tropical Africa. It is widely used for food and medicinal purposes by local people. It was reported that it had several qualities, including anticancer activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A sesquiterpene lactone, vernodalinol, was isolated from VA leaves. The first reported source of vernodalinol was in 2009 from a different plant, only (1)H NMR spectrum and no detailed structural analysis were carried out. No whole spectroscopic data were provided.
  
  
  METHODS
  VA dried leaves were extracted with 85% ethanol followed by further separation into four fractions by liquid-liquid extraction technique using various solvents: hexane, chloroform, and n-butanol. Vernodalinol was separated from the n-butanol fraction by column chromatography. The biological activity of vernodalinol was evaluated in estrogen receptor-positive (ER(+)) human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7) in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that vernodalinol (25 and 50 μg/mL) inhibited breast cancerous cell growth (DNA synthesis) by 34% (P < 0.025) and 40% (P < 0.025), respectively. It is reasonable to expect an LC(50) of 70-75 μg/mL for vernodalinol in MCF-7 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vernodalinol structure was confirmed using a battery of spectroscopic methods, 1D and 2D NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), UV, IR, and X-ray. These results suggest that vernodalinol, although it has some biological activity, is likely to work in concert with other ingredients responsible for the anticancer activity exhibited of VA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Fronczek
authors.forename: Cuiwu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ernest B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Izevbigie
authors.forename: Ken S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D035741:Vernonia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C560358:vernodalinol; D004247:DNA