title: Isolation of cytotoxic diterpenoids from the Chilean medicinal plant Azorella compacta Phil from the Atacama Desert by high-speed counter-current chromatography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Azorella compacta (Apiaceae) is a native Chilean cushion shrub which produces a resin containing mulinane and azorellane diterpenoids. This plant has been used since pre-Colombian times to treat inflammation and dental neuralgias. In this work the first preparative fractionation of diterpenoids present in this plant by means of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied, and cytotoxic effects of the isolated compounds were evaluated for the first time against a panel of MCF7 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The major compounds isolated were identified by means of spectroscopy as azorellanol, 13α, 14α-dihydroxymulin-11-en-20-oic acid, mulinolic acid, mulin-11,13-dien-20-oic acid, 17-acetoxy-mulin-11,13-dien-20 oic acid, and 17-acetoxy-mulinic acid (compounds 7, 9-11 and 13, respectively), and four minor diterpenoids [7-deacetyl-azorellanol (6), 13-epi-azorellanol, 7-acetoxy-mulin-9,12-diene, and 17-acetoxy-mulin-11,13-dien-20-oic acid (compounds 4, 8 and 12)], together with three new minor diterpenoids: 13β,14β-dihydroxymulin-11-en-20-oic acid (1), 13-epiazorellanone (2) and 13-epi-7-deacetyl-azorellanol (3) were identified. Besides, compounds 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 displayed good cytotoxic activity (less than 50% cell viability at 100 µM). Among them, compound 7, an acetylated azorellane, was the most active.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSCCC allowed the isolation of 13 diterpenoids present in A. compacta. Three compounds are reported for the first time. Isolated azorellanes are more potent cytotoxic agents than are mulinanes. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Departamento de Química, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Coloso S-N, Antofagasta, 1240000, Chile.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bórquez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica (LIIB), Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto (CIHDE), Av. General Velásquez, 1775, Arica, Chile.
authors.forename: Nandy López
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Bartolucci
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica (LIIB), Centro de Investigaciones del Hombre en el Desierto (CIHDE), Av. General Velásquez, 1775, Arica, Chile.|Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Tarapacá, Av. General Velásquez, 1775, Arica, Chile.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Echiburú-Chau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Schleinitz-Strasse 20, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winterhalter
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 610, Antofagasta, 1240000, Chile.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallejos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Schleinitz-Strasse 20, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jerz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Departamento de Química, Universidad de Antofagasta, Av. Coloso S-N, Antofagasta, 1240000, Chile.
authors.forename: Mario J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Simirgiotis
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019661:Apiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002677:Chile; D003377:Countercurrent Distribution / Q000379:methods*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004224:Diterpenes
keywords: Chilean plants; HSCCC; azorellanes; cushion shrub; cytotoxic activity, breast cancer cells; mulinanes; new terpenoids