Cytotoxic C20 Diterpenoid Alkaloids from the Australian Endemic Rainforest Plant Anopterus macleayanus

J Nat Prod. 2015 Dec 24;78(12):2908-16. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00509. Epub 2015 Nov 24.

Abstract

In order to identify new anticancer compounds from nature, a prefractionated library derived from Australian endemic plants was generated and screened against the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP using a metabolic assay. Fractions from the seeds, leaves, and wood of Anopterus macleayanus showed cytotoxic activity and were subsequently investigated using a combination of bioassay-guided fractionation and mass-directed isolation. This led to the identification of four new diterpenoid alkaloids, 6α-acetoxyanopterine (1), 4'-hydroxy-6α-acetoxyanopterine (2), 4'-hydroxyanopterine (3), and 11α-benzoylanopterine (4), along with four known compounds, anopterine (5), 7β-hydroxyanopterine (6), 7β,4'-dihydroxyanopterine (7), and 7β-hydroxy-11α-benzoylanopterine (8); all compounds were purified as their trifluoroacetate salt. The chemical structures of 1-8 were elucidated after analysis of 1D/2D NMR and MS data. Compounds 1-8 were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against a panel of human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP, C4-2B, and DuCaP) and nonmalignant cell lines (BPH-1 and WPMY-1), using a live-cell imaging system and a metabolic assay. All compounds showed potent cytotoxicity with IC50 values of <400 nM; compound 1 was the most active natural product from this series, with an IC50 value of 3.1 nM toward the LNCaP cell line. The live-cell imaging assay on 1-8 showed a concentration- and time-dependent effect on the cell morphology and proliferation of LNCaP cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Australia
  • Diterpenes / chemistry
  • Diterpenes / isolation & purification*
  • Diterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Magnoliopsida / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Rainforest
  • Seeds / chemistry
  • Wood / chemistry

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Diterpenes