Salma A El Sawi and Hemaia M Motawe Department of Pharmacognosy, National Research Centre, Dokki
Keywords: Juniperus phoenicea, berries, diterpenes, labdane, pimarane, abietane, cytotoxic, Cupressaceae.
Abstract: Globally 70 Juniperus spp. grow and only one species J. phoenicea is found in Egypt, which spreads in Sinai. Continuing our studies on searching for extracts and compounds with cytotoxic activities, with the aim of finding new natural compounds with anticancer activities, we present herein the study of the pet. ether extract of fruits of J. phoenicea grown in Egypt. Seven diterpenes were isolated and identified from the fruit petroleum ether extract together with ?-sitosterol. These terpenes were belonging to pimarane, labdane and abietane groups. The isolated diterpenes were identified as; sandaracopimaric acid (I); pimaric acid (II), 3?-acetoxylabda- 8(17),13(16)-14- triene-19-oic acid (juniperexcelsic acid) (III), 3?-hydroxy-labda-8(17), 13(16)-14- triene-19-oic acid (isolated for the first time) (IV), 4-epi-abietic acid (V), 4-epi-abietol (VI) and 3?, 12- dihydroxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-1-one (VII). Cytotoxic activity of fruit successive extracts was tested against Erlich Ascitis carcinoma. It was found that the cytotoxic activity was confined to pet. ether extract, which inhibited 80% of the viable cells at concentration =100 ?g/ml. Fruit pet. ether extract was also highly active against 3 human tumor cell lines; liver carcinoma cell line (0.4 ?g/ml), lung carcinoma cell line, (IC50= 0.54 ?g/ml) and breast carcinoma cell line (4.72 ?g/ml). The isolated compounds were tested against human liver carcinoma cell line. Four of the isolated compounds have higher activity than cisplatin (IC50= 9.82?g/ml). The activity of these compounds was as follows: compound I; IC50= 7.39?g/ml, compound III; IC50= 7.49 ?g/ml. compound V; IC50= 5.72 ?g/ml and compound VI; IC50= 5.52 ?g/ml.
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