Antiviral, Cyototoxic And Antimicrobial Activities Of Anthraquinones Isolated From The Roots Of Morinda Elliptica

Abstract

2-Formyl-1-hydroxyanthraquinone, along with ten other known anthraquinones (1-hydroxy-2-methylan-thraquinone, nordamnacanthal, damnacanthal, lucidin-methyl ether, rubiadin, rubiadin-1-methyl ether, soranjidiol, morindone, morindone-5-methyl ether and alizarin-1-methyl ether), isolated from the roots of Morinda elliptica, were assayed for anti-HIV, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activites. Only damnacan-thal showed moderate activity against HIV. It was cytotoxic towards the MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and CEM-SS (T-lymphoblastic leukaemia) cell line. Nor-damnacanthal was very cytotoxic against the CEM-SS cell lines. Other anthraquinones that showed strong cytotoxicity towards the cell lines tested were lucidin-methyl ether (CEM-SS and MCF-7) and rubiadin (CEM-SS). Three anthraquinones viz., nordamnacan-thal, damnacanthal and morindone, were found to have strong antimicrobial activity.