Anticancer activity of 2α, 3α, 19β, 23β-Tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (THA), a novel triterpenoid isolated from Sinojackia sarcocarpa.[Pubmed: 21695177]

Natural products represent an important source for agents of cancer prevention and cancer treatment. More than 60% of conventional anticancer drugs are derived from natural sources, particularly from plant-derived materials. In this study, 2α, 3α, 19β, 23β-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (THA), a novel triterpenoid from the leaves of Sinojackia sarcocarpa, was isolated, and its anticancer activity was investigated both in vitro and in vivo.

Purification and anticancer activity investigation of pentacyclic triterpenoids from the leaves of Sinojackia sarcocarpa L.Q. Luo by high-speed counter-current chromatography.[Pubmed: 21671207]

Sinojackia sarcocarpa L.Q. Luo has high aesthetic value, which is clinically used to treat diseases such as the variations of arthritis, thromboangiitis obliterans, angina pectoris as well as many other diseases. Pentacyclic triterpenoids are the main pharmacological effective compounds. High-speed counter-current chromatography method was performed on a Midi-DE centrifuge at 25°C. The solvent system was n-hexane-ethylacetate-methanol-water (10:5:3:1, v/v). Peak fractions were collected according to the elution profile for subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The structure identification was performed by ultraviolet, infrared, mass spectrometry, (1)H-NMR and (13)C-NMR. Compound 2α,3α,19β,23β-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid and 2α,3α,23β-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid were purified from the plant of Styracaceaen genius for the first time, whose purities were 96.57% and 97.33%, respectively. Compared with the same dose of oral 5-fluorouracil with 57.6% inhibition rate, the S(180) tumour inhibition rates of 20 mg kg(-1)d(-1) two compounds were 59.5% and 48.9%, respectively.