Antimutagenic potential of harpagoside and Harpagophytum procumbens against 1-nitropyrene.

BACKGROUND: 1-nitropyrene (1-NPy) is one of the most abundant nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons particularly in diesel exhausts. It is a mutagenic and carcinogenic pollutant very widespread in the environment. So the discovery of antimutagenic agents is essential. Harpagophytum procumbens (HP) is traditionally used as anti-inflammatory and analgesic particularly against painful osteoarthritis. Harpagoside (HS), its major iridoid glycoside, is considered as the main active component. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimutagenic activity of HS and HP extracts against mutagenic activity of 1-NPy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimutagenic activity was investigated using the in vitro cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in cultured human lymphocytes. Cells were exposed to HS or HP extracts before (pretreatment), during (co-treatment), and after (posttreatment) treatment with 1-NPy. RESULTS: Results showed that HS significantly reduced the mutagenicity of 1-NPy in pretreatment and particularly in co-treatment, whereas all HP extracts significantly reduced the genotoxicity in the three protocols. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that HS was strongly involved in antimutagenic activity of HP extracts in co-treatment, but other components in HP extracts participated in this activity in pre- and post-treatment.

Cytotoxic withanolides from the leaves of Moroccan Withania frutescens.

CONTEXT: Withania species are a rich source of interesting phytochemical substances (withanolides) which have shown several biological properties. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytotoxic potential of Withania frutescens (L.) Pauquy (Solanaceae) leaf extracts and isolated active compounds against cultured tumor cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The crude methanol extract of W. frutescens leaves was partitioned with dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. MeOH extract and its fractions were tested for their cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines (HepG2 and HT29) using the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. Bioassay-guided fractionation was performed for the active CH2Cl2 fraction employing column chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Structural elucidation of the isolated active compounds was carried out mainly by 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. The compounds were then tested for their cytotoxic activity. RESULTS: The CH2Cl2 fraction was the most active against HT29 cell line. The fractionation procedure resulted in the isolation of 4ß,17α,27-trihydroxy-1-oxo-22-R-witha-2,5,24-trienolide (1), 5ß,6ß-epoxy-4ß,17α,27-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide (2) and 2,3-dihydroxywithaferin A-3ß-O-sulfate (3). The latter exhibited the strongest cytotoxic activity against HT29 cancer cell lines (IC50 of 1.78 ± 0.09 µM) which was comparable to that of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) used as the positive antimitotic control. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from W. frutescens for the first time. Data obtained suggest that the sulfated steroidal lactone (3) can be considered as a compound with potential application in the new anticancer drugs development field.