Govind J. Kapadia

Anti-tumor promoting effects of naphthoquinone derivatives on short term Epstein-Barr early antigen activation assay and in mouse skin carcinogenesis

In continuation of our studies of natural and synthetic products as cancer chemopreventive agents, we have examined a number of naphthoquinone derivatives including monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric naphthaquinones occurring in the Diospyros and other selected plant genera. Several synthetic naphthoquinones were also evaluated. Initially these compounds were tested for in vitro anti-tumor promoting effect on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation produced by the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and thereafter in in vivo on two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis. Our studies show some of these compounds have potent anti-tumor promoting activity.

Melovinone, an open chain analogue of melochinone from Melochia tomentosa

Abstract Melovinone, a new alkaloid isolated from the roots of Melochia tomentosa has been characterized as 3,7,8-trimethoxy-2-methyl-5(5′-phenylpentyl)-4-quinolinone.

Identification of volatile constituents of Sassafras albidum root oil

Abstract Sassafras root bark oil was examined by GC-MS for the possible natural occurrence of 1′-hydroxysafrole a potent hepatocarcinogenic mammalian metabolite of safrole. Six monoterpenes, 2 sesquiterpenes, 6 allylbenzenes, 2 propenylbenzenes, 2 acroleins and 1 benzaldehyde derivative were identified. Eleven out of these 19 sassafras constituents are reported for the first time. However, 1′-hydroxysafrole was not detected.