Cancer preventive agents. 7. Antitumor-promoting effects of seven active flavonolignans from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) on Epstein-Barr virus activation

Abstract

Seven pure flavonolignans were isolated from an extract of milk thistle [Silybum marianum(L.) Gaertn (Asteraceae)], by semipreparative reverse-phase HPLC, and identified based on spectroscopic and LC-MS/IT-TOF data. All seven compounds were screened as potential antitumor-promoting agents by using the in vitro short-term 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation assay in Raji cells. They showed good inhibitory activity (87.7-94.9%) at 1000 mol ratio/TPA. Silychristin A (1) and silychristin B (2) were slightly more potent than the well-known antitumor promoter β-carotene. Silychristins A (1) and B (2) and isosilybins A (6) and B (7) were more active than the clinically proven cancer prevention components silybins A (4) and B (5). © 2007 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.