Serjania goniocarpa is a plant used in Mayan traditional medicine as a remedy for the treatment of cancer-like symptoms. Bio-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of the leaves led to the isolation of an α- and β-amyrin mixture, palmitic acid, phytol and the new sesterterpene goniocarpic acid whose structure was elucidated by IR, GC-MS, and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Goniocarpic acid exhibited cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity against several cancer cell lines.
JemalA., BrayF., CenterM.M., FerlayJ., WardE., FormanD. (2011) Global cancer statistics. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 61, 69–90.
2.
GottesmanM. (2002) Mechanisms of cancer drug resistance. Annual Review of Medicine, 53, 615–627.
3.
ThomasH., ColeyH.M. (2003) Overcoming multidrug resistance in cancer: an update on the clinical strategy on inhibiting p-glycoprotein. Cancer Control, 10, 159–165.
4.
NewmanD.J., CraggG.M. (2007) Natural products as sources of new drugs over the last 25 years. Journal of Natural Products, 70, 461–477.
5.
CraggG., NewmanD. (2005) Plants as a source of anti-cancer agents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 100, 72–79.
6.
FerrucciM.S. (2000) Cytotaxonomy of Sapindaceae with special reference to the tribe Paullinieae. Genetics Molecular Biology, 4, 941–946.
7.
EkaboO., FarnsworthN. (1996) Antifungal and molluscicidal saponins from Serjania salzmanniana. Journal of Natural Products, 59, 431–435.
8.
FerreiraM., SouzaJ., FeitosaA., CañoM., GoulartA., GenetJ., MarquezB., NeuvilleL., MoreauN. (2006) Anti-bacterial activity of some Brazilian medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 105, 137–147.
CorreaA., GomesR., HondaN., FerrazoliC., PottA., HirumaC. (2009) Gastroprotective effect of Serjania erecta Radlk. (Sapindaceae): involvement of sensory neurons, endogenous nonprotein sulfhydryls, and nitric oxide. Journal of Medicinal Food, 12, 1411–1415.
11.
OsadaoR. (1834) El Libro del Judío o Medicina Doméstica, Descripción de las Virtudes de las Yerbas Medicinales de Yucatán. Additional notes of Dr. Andrew Heath de Zapata, Mérida, Yucatán, México, 20–255.
12.
Caamal-FuentesE., Torres-TapiaL.W., Sima-PolancoP., Peraza-SanchezS.R., Moo-PucR. (2011) Screening of plants used in Mayan traditional medicine to treat cancer-like symptoms. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 135, 719–734.
MayerA., GustafsonK. (2006) Marine pharmacology in 2003–2004: anti-tumour and cytotoxic compounds. European Journal of Cancer, 42, 2241–2270.
15.
EbadaS., LinW.H., ProkschP. (2010) Bioactive sesterterpenes and triterpenes from marine sponges: occurrence and pharmacological significance. Marine Drugs, 8, 3313–3346.
16.
SkehanP., StorengR., ScudieroD., MonksA., McMahonJ., VisticaD., WarrenJ.T., BokeschH., KenneyS., BoydM.R. (1990) New colorimetric cytotoxicity assay for anticancer-drug screening. Journal of The National Cancer Institute, 82, 1107–1112.
