Anticancer Activity of Isolated Chemical Constituents from Miliusa smithiae

Abstract

Miliusa plants belonging to the family Annonaceae are found in Thailand and have been used as Thai traditional medicines. There have been a few previously reports on the chemical constituents of plants in this genus, describing the presence of aporphine alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, styrylpyrones, bis-styryls and homogentisic acid derivatives. Miliusa smithiae, a new species for Thailand and world, has not been studied chemical composition. The present study described phytochemical study of the leaves and twigs of M. smithiae together with their cytotoxicity. The M. smithiae was selected and percolated with hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The extracts were purified and elucidated chemical structures. The constituent of ethyl acetate extract of M. smithiae has been investigated. We isolated and identified two flavonoid derivatives, 5-hydroxy-3,7,4’-trimetoxyflavone (1) and 5,3’-dihydroxy-3,7,4’-trimetoxyflavone (2). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Studies on ethyl acetate extract of M. smithiae has now resulted the isolation and structural characterization of two flavonoids. Their anticancer activities were evaluated using SRB assays. In this method, compound 2 showed potential activity in cell lines.