Antitumor-promoting constituents from Dioscorea bulbifera L. in JB6 mouse epidermal cells

Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Sep;25(9):1241-3. doi: 10.1248/bpb.25.1241.

Abstract

An antitumor-promoting effect was found in the extracts/ingredients of a plant used as a traditional medicine in mainland China, using the neoplastic transformation assay of mouse epidermal JB6 cell lines. The ethyl acetate soluble fraction of 75% ethanol extract of the rhizomes of Dioscorea bulbifera L. showed an inhibitory effect against the tumor promotion of JB6 (Cl 22 and Cl 41) cells induced by a promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Further investigation on the constituents of the EtOAc fraction from the rhizomes revealed the chemical structure to be kaempferol-3,5-dimethyl ether (1), caryatin (2), (+)-catechin (3), myricetin (4), quercetin-3-O-galactopyranoside (5), myricetin-3-O-galactopyranoside (6), myricetin-3-O-glucopyranoside (7) and diosbulbin B (8). Constituent antitumor-promoting activities were also examined in the same way. Compounds 1-7, characterized as flavonoids with the two hydroxyl groups at C-7 and C-4', showed the most potent inhibitory effect, but there seemed to be differences in the inhibitory effect between flavonol aglycones and flavonol glycosides. Compared with (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin exhibited much stronger inhibitory activity which suggested that chemical stereo structures of compounds affect the efficiency of inhibition. Compound 8 showed moderate activity. The constituents with antitumor-promoting activity from this plant are reported for the first time.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Dioscorea* / chemistry
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / methods
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / chemistry
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / isolation & purification
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
  • Epidermal Cells
  • Epidermis / drug effects*
  • Mice
  • Rhizome / chemistry
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal