title: Thymus mastichina: chemical constituents and their anti-cancer activity.
abstract: The cytotoxicity-guided study of the dichloromethane and ethanol extracts of Thymus mastichina L. using the HCT colon cancer cell line allowed the identification of nine compounds, sakuranetin (1), sterubin (2), oleanolic acid (3), ursolic acid (4), lutein (5), beta-sitosterol (6), rosmarinic acid (7), 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-beta-glucopyranoside (8), and 6-hydroxyapigenin-7-O-beta-glucopyranoside (9). All compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against the HCT colon cancer cell line. Compound 4 showed cytotoxicity with GI50 value of 6.8 microg/mL. A fraction composed of a mixture (1:1) of triterpenoid acids 3 and 4 displayed improved cytotoxicity with a GI50 of 2.8 microg/mL suggesting a synergistic behavior. This is the first report on the chemical constituents of Thymus mastichina L. based on structural assignments by spectroscopic analysis. The presence of these constituents identified by colon cancer cytotoxicity-guided activity indicates that extracts of T. mastichina L. may have a protective effect against colon cancers.
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gordo
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Máximo
authors.forename: Eurico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabrita
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filipe
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barcia
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Helder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cruz
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D044950:Flavanones / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D044950:Flavanones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes