Synergistic and cytotoxic action of indole alkaloids produced from elicited cell cultures of Catharanthus roseus.

Pharm Biol, 2013/3;51(3):304-10.

Fernández-Pérez F[1], Almagro L, Pedreño MA, Gómez Ros LV

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PMID: 23137274DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2012.722646

Impact factor: 3.889

Abstract
context: Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces more than 130 alkaloids, with special attention given to the production of the anti-hypertensive monomeric indole alkaloids, serpentine and ajmalicine, and the antitumor dimeric alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine.
objective: This study evaluated the cytotoxic activity of the indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract obtained from suspension cultured-cells of C. roseus elicited with methyl jasmonate (MJ) and cyclodextrins (CDs) in three cell lines: JURKAT E.6 human lymphocytic leukemia, THP-1 human monocytic leukemia and BL 1395 non-tumor human B-cell line.
materials and methods: An indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract was obtained from C. roseus cell cultures elicited with MJ and CDs. The indole alkaloids were identified using an HPLC-diode array system coupled to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer using electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The cytotoxic assays were made using the colorimetric assay 2, 3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-S-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2 tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT).
results: Four indole alkaloids were identified (catharanthine, ajmalicine, tabersonine and lochnericine) but only catharanthine and ajmalicine were quantified. The concentration of the indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract that inhibited cell growth by 50% was 211 and 210 ng/mL for the JURKAT E.6 and THP-1 cell lines, respectively.
discussion and conclusion: The results confirm that the powerful antitumor activity of this indole alkaloid-enriched bioactive extract is not due to the effect of a single compound but depends on the synergistic action of the four compounds identified.
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