title: Characterization of the antiproliferative activity of Xylopia aethiopica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xylopia aethiopica, a plant found throughout West Africa, has both nutritional and medicinal uses. The present study aims to characterize the effects of extracts of this plant on cancer cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report that X. aethiopica extract prepared with 70% ethanol has antiproliferative activity against a panel of cancer cell lines. The IC50 was estimated at 12 μg/ml against HCT116 colon cancer cells, 7.5 μg/ml and > 25 μg/ml against U937 and KG1a leukemia cells, respectively. Upon fractionation of the extract by HPLC, the active fraction induced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest in G1 phase and apoptotic cell death. By using NMR and mass spectrometry, we determined the structure of the active natural product in the HPLC fraction as ent-15-oxokaur-16-en-19-oic acid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main cytotoxic and DNA-damaging compound in ethanolic extracts of Xylopia aethiopica is ent-15-oxokaur-16-en-19-oic acid.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse; ITAV-UMS3039, F-31106 Toulouse, France. bernard.ducommun@itav-recherche.fr.
authors.forename: Aphrodite T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Choumessi
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danel
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chassaing
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Truchet
authors.forename: Véronique B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Penlap
authors.forename: Anatole Constant
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pieme
authors.forename: Tazoacha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asonganyi
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ducommun
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valette