Chemical Constituents from Cimicifuga dahurica and Their Anti-Proliferative Effects on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

摘要

This study was designed to search for novel anti-cancer compounds from natural plants. The 70% ethanolic extract from the rizhomes of Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim. (Ranunculaceae) was found to possess significant in vitro anti-proliferative effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. A phytochemical investigation using assay-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of C. dahurica resulted in the isolation of one new phenolic amide glycoside >3, two new lignan glycosides >4 and >7, one new 9,19-cycloartane triterpenoid glycoside >6, and thirteen known constituents >1, >2, >5, and >8–>17. The structures of >3, >4, >6, and >7 were established using contemporary NMR methods and from their HRESIMS data. The anti-proliferative effects of isolated compounds were evaluated using the BrdU-proliferation kit. Five among the 17 isolated compounds showed significant anti-proliferative effects (p ≤ 0.05), wherein compound >7 showed the most significant anti-proliferative and cell cycle arresting effect (p ≤ 0.05) which followed a dose dependent manner. Western blot protein expression analysis showed a down expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 which further elucidated the anti-proliferation mechanism of compound >7 while apoptotic effects were found in association with Bcl-2 family protein expression variations. Conclusively this study reports the isolation and identification of 17 compounds from C. dahurica, including four novel molecules, in addition to the fact that compound >7 possesses significant anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects in vitro that may require further exploration.