Cucurbitane-type triterpenes from Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) seeds

Nat Prod Commun. 2013 Oct;8(10):1367-9.

Abstract

Two new cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 24-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,25-dien-3beta-ol (1) and 25-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3beta-ol (2), were isolated from a MeOH extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50 values of 33.4-52.4 microM against HL-60 (human leukemia), P388 (murine leukemia), and L1210 (murine leukemia) cells. Compound 1 showed melanogenesis inhibitory activity (melanin content 80.0 %) with low cytotoxicity (cell viability 97.6%) at a low concentration (10 microM).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification*
  • Citrullus / chemistry*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry
  • Seeds / chemistry
  • Triterpenes / chemistry
  • Triterpenes / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Triterpenes