Seven Alkaloids from Picrasma quassioides and Their Cytotoxic Activities

• DOI: 10.1007/s10600-014-1106-6
• Publication Date: 2014-10-28T01:56:57Z
• Authors: Zheng-Quan Lai; Wei-Hai Liu; Siu-Po Ip; Hui-Jun Liao; Yu-Yang Yi; Zhen Qin; Xiao-Ping Lai; Zi-Ren Su; Zhi-Xiu Lin
• Keywords: Propanoic acid; Cancer cell lines; Hep G2

A new alkaloid, 6-hydroxy-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid (1), together with six known alkaloids, including β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid (2), β-carboline-1-propanoic acid (3), 1-methoxycarbonyl-β-carboline (4), 3-methylcanthin-5,6-dione (5), 5-hydroxy-4-methoxycanthin-6-one (6), and 4,5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one (7), were isolated from the stem of Picrasma quassioides. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1–7 were screened for their cytotoxic activities against five cancer cell lines such as CT26.WT, K-562, SGC-7901, Hep G2, and A-549. Among the seven alkaloids tested, only compound 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against K-562 and SGC-7901 cell lines.