QUASSINOIDS FROM THE ROOTS OF Brucea javanica AND THEIR POTENTIAL CYTOTOXICITY

Abstract

A phytochemical study of the roots of Brucea javanica was conducted and four alkaloids and three quassinoids were isolated. The structures of the compounds were verified using physical and spectroscopic data, which were compared to the literature. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated against KB (oral cavity carcinoma), NCI-H187 (small cell lung cancer), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma) cell lines. The results showed that the quassinoid, Bruceine A, exhibited very strong cytotoxicity against KB, and high potency against NCI-H187, with both being 581-and 100-fold more active than ellipticine, and 99-and 10-fold more active than doxorubicin, respectively. These results suggest the potential use of bruceine A as an anticancer agent.