Twenty-four quassinoids isolated from Eurycoma longifolia Jack were investigated for their cytotoxicity against a panel of four different cancer cell lines, which includes three murine cell lines [colon 26-L5 carcinoma (colon 26-L5), B16-BL6 melanoma (B16-BL6), Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)] and a human lung A549 adenocarcinoma (A549) cell line. Among the tested compounds, eurycomalactone (9) displayed the most potent activity against all the tested cell lines; colon 26-L5 (IC50 = 0.70 μM), B16-BL6 (IC50 = 0.59 μM), LLC (IC50 = 0.78 μM), and A549 (IC50 = 0.73 μM). These activities were comparable to clinically used anticancer agent doxorubicin (colon 26-L5, IC50 = 0.76 μM; B16-BL6, IC50 = 0.86 μM; LLC, IC50 = 0.80 μM; A549, IC50 = 0.66 μM).
CavalliF. (2008) The world cancer declaration: a roadmap for change. Lancet Oncology, 9, 810–811.
2.
MooreMA, SobueT. (2009) Cancer research and control activities in Japan: contributions to international efforts. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 10, 183–200.
MiyakeK, TezukaY, AwaleS, LiF, KadotaS. (2009) Quassinoids from Eurycoma longifolia. Journal of Natural Products, 72, 2135–2140.
6.
OhnishiY, SakamotoT, FujiiH, KimuraF, MurataJ, TazawaK, FujimakiM, SatoY, KondoM, UneY, UchinoJ, SaikiI. (1997) Characterization of a liver metastatic variant of murine colon 26 carcinoma cells. Tumor Biology, 18, 113–122.
7.
HartIR. (1979) The selection and characterization of an invasive variant of the B16 melanoma. American Journal of Pathology, 97, 587–600.
8.
AptekmanPM, LewisMR. (1951) Evidence of resistance to tumor graft in early stages of induced oncolysis. Journal of Immunology, 66, 361–364.
9.
GiardDJ, AaronsonSA, TodaroGJ, ArnsteinP, KerseyJH, DosikH, ParksWP. (1973) In vitro cultivation of human tumors: establishment of cell lines derived from a series of solid tumors. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 51, 1417–1423.
10.
BalisFM, HolcenbergJS, BleyerWA. (1983) Clinical pharmacokinetics of commonly used anticancer drugs. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 8, 202–232.
11.
RubinsteinLV, ShoemakerRH, PaullKD, SimonRM, TosiniS, SkehanP, ScudieroDA, MonksA, BoydMR. (1990) Comparison of in vitro anticancer-drug-screening data generated with a tetrazolium assay versus a protein assay against a diverse panel of human tumor cell lines. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 82, 1113–1118.
12.
LiF, AwaleS, ZhangH, TezukaY, EsumiH, KadotaS. (2009) Chemical Constituents of Propolis from Myanmar and Their Preferential Cytotoxicity against a Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Line. Journal of Natural Products, 72, 1283–1287.
13.
SaitoK, OkuT, AtaN, MiyashiroH, HattoriM, SaikiI. (1997) A modified and convenient method for assessing tumor cell invasion and migration and its application to screening for inhibitors. Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 20, 345–348.
