Three new cardenolides (1-3) were isolated from the 90% ethanolic extract of the bark of a wild-type Calotropis gigantea. Their structures were determined by using NMR spectra and LC-MS analysis. Their inhibitory activities were evaluated against non-small cell lung carcinoma (A549) and human cervix epithelial adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited strong inhibitory effect on two cancer cell lines.
Keywords: A459; Asclepiadaceae; Calotropis gigantea; HeLa; cardenolide.