title: Effect of constituents from samaras of Austroplenckia populnea (Celastraceae) on human cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aiming the continuity of the studies of Austroplenckia populnea, Brazilian species of the Celastraceae family, in the present study, it was investigated the effect of crude extracts obtained with ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform and two purified constituents, proanthocyanidin A and 4'-O-methylepigallocatechin, both isolated from its samaras, on cancer cell proliferation assays.
  
  
  METHODS
  The human cancer cells lines MCF-7 (ductal breast carcinoma), A549 (lung cancer), HS578T (ductal breast carcinoma) and non-cancer HEK293 (embryonic kidney cells) were treated with different concentrations of extracts and constituents and the effect was observed through the acid phosphatase method. The chemical structures of the purified compounds were identified by the respective IR and (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While crude extracts from samaras of the folk medicine A. populnea can trigger cell proliferative effects in human cell lines, the purified compounds (proanthocyanidin A and 4'-O-methyl-epigallocatechin) isolated from the same extracts can have an opposite (anti-proliferative) effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results, it was possible to suggest that extracts from samaras of A. populnea should be further investigated for possible cancer-promoting activities; and the active extracts can also represent a source of compounds that have anti-cancer properties.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil ; Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Centre for Chromosome Biology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Carolina Milagres
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Caneschi
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Centre for Chromosome Biology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mohan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Muniyappa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucienir P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Grácia D F
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Orlando David Henrique
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Centre for Chromosome Biology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spillane
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sidney Augusto Vieira
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Filho
keywords: Austroplenckia populnea; Celastraceae; cancer cell proliferation; samaras