Cytotoxic quinones from the roots of Aloe dawei

Molecules. 2014 Mar 17;19(3):3264-73. doi: 10.3390/molecules19033264.

Abstract

Seven naphthoquinones and nine anthraquinones were isolated from the roots of Aloe dawei by chromatographic separation. The purified metabolites were identified by NMR and MS analyses. Out of the sixteen quinones, 6-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone is a new compound. Two of the isolates, 5,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-2-methylnaphthalene-1,4-dione and 1-hydroxy-8-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone showed high cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ 1.15 and 4.85 µM) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells, whereas the others showed moderate to low cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 (ER Negative) and MCF-7 (ER Positive) cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aloe / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry*
  • Plant Roots / chemistry*
  • Quinones / chemistry*
  • Quinones / toxicity*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Plant Extracts
  • Quinones