Antiproliferative terpenoids from almond hulls (Prunus dulcis): identification and structure-activity relationships

J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 8;54(3):810-4. doi: 10.1021/jf052812q.

Abstract

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOAc crude extract from Sicilian almond hulls, a waste material from Prunus dulcis crop, allowed identification of 10 constituents, isolated as pure compounds (1-5, 7, and 10) or unseparable mixtures (5 + 6 and 8 + 9). All compounds were subjected to spectroscopic analysis and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide bioassay on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. In addition to the main components oleanolic (1), ursolic (2), and betulinic (3) acids, the 2-hydroxy analogues alphitolic (4), corosolic (5), and maslinic (6) acids, as well as the related aldehydes, namely, betulinic (7), oleanolic (8), and ursolic (9), were identified. From a more polar fraction, the beta-sitosterol 3-O-glucoside (10) was also identified. A sample of commercially available betulin (11) was also included in bioassays as further support to a structure-activity relationship study. Betulinic acid showed antiproliferative activity toward MCF-7 cells (GI50 = 0.27 microM), higher than the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Betulinic Acid
  • Breast Neoplasms
  • Cell Division / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Prunus / chemistry*
  • Seeds / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Terpenes / chemistry
  • Terpenes / isolation & purification*
  • Terpenes / pharmacology*
  • Triterpenes / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Terpenes
  • Triterpenes
  • Betulinic Acid