Yu-Hua Hui

Sylvaticin: a new cytotoxic and insecticidal acetogenin from Rollinia sylvatica (Annonaceae)

Sylvaticin (I), a new tetrahydroxy annonaceous acetogenin with nonadjacent tetrahydrofuran rings, has been isolated from the dried fruits ofRollinia sylvatica St. Hil. (Annonaceae). This compound is extremely cytotoxic to human tumor cells and shows promising insect control properties.

Reticulatacin: A new bioactive acetogenin from Annona reticulata (Annonaceae)

Abstract A new bioactive monotetrahydrofuran acetogenin, reticulatacin, containing 37 carbons, has been isolated from a 95% EtOH extract of the bark of A. reticulata by directing the fractionation with brine shrimp lethality. Another previously reported highly potent antitumor, adjacent ring bistetrahydrofuran acetogenin, bullatacin, has also been isolated in large quantity. Two known diterpenes, (−)-kau-16-en-19-oic acid and methyl 16β,17-dihydro-(−)-kauran-19-oate and a known alkaloid, liriodenine, have also been isolated. Some of these compounds showed selective cytotoxic activities for certain human tumor cell lines.

New cytotoxic annonaceous acetogenins: Bullatanocin and cis- and trans-Bullatanocinone, from Annona bullata (Annonaceae)

Abstract Further bioactivity-directed fractionation of the ethanol extract of the bark of Annona bullata Rich. (Annonaceae) has led to the isolation of the new nonadjacent bis-tetrahydrofuran acetogenins, bullatanocin ( 1 ), cis- bullatanocinone ( 2 ) and trans-bullatanocinone ( 3 ). A known adjacent bis-tetrahydrofuran acetogenin, desacetyluvaricin ( 4 ), which is new to this species, was also isolated. Brine shrimp lethality test (BST) data and cytotoxicities against human solid tumor cell lines of 1–4 were compared with those of the diastereoisomers, bullatalicin ( 5 ), cis- and trans-bullatalicinone ( 6 and 7 ) and 4-deoxyasimicin ( 8 ). 1 shows cytotoxic potencies 10,000 times those of adriamycin in the lung and colon cancer cell lines.

Biologically active acetogenins from stem bark of Asimina triloba.

In continuing our research with cytotoxic and pesticidal components from the stem bark of the North American paw paw, Asimina triloba, the novel cytotoxic monotetrahydrofuran Annonaceous acetogenins, cis- and trans-annonacin-A-one, cis- and trans-gigantetrocinone and cis-isoannonacin, in addition to the known compounds, trans-isoannonacin and squamolone, have been identified. Brine shrimp lethality testing was used to direct the fractionation. The structures were elucidated by spectral analysis and/or chemical synthesis. These acetogenins have potent cytotoxicities against the human tumour cell lines of A-549 (lung carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and HT-29 (colon adenocarcinoma).

Bullatalicin, a novel bioactive acetogenin from Annona bullata (Annonaceae)

Abstract Bullatalicin, a novel bioactive acetogenin having two nonadjacent tetrahydrofuran rings, has been isolated from the bark of Annona bullata (Annonaceae). Its structure has been elecidated from chemical and spectral data. This compound showed potent and selective cytotoxic activities for certain human tumor cell lines with ED50 values as low as 10−7 mcg/ml.

16α-Hydroxy-(–)-kauranoic Acid: A Selectively Cytotoxic Diterpene from Annona bullata

Using brine shrimp lethality to direct fractionation, extracts of the bark of Annona bullata Rich. (Annonaceae) have yielded 16α-hydroxy-(–)-kauranoic acid as a bioactive plant constituent. This previously known diterpene showed significant (ED50 8.25 × 10−2 µg/ml) and selective cytotoxicity against A-549 (lung) cells in our panel of human tumor cells.