From the methanol extract of the stem bark of the African tree Antiaris africana Engler, two new bioactive metabolites were isolated, namely, the α-amyrin derivative 1β,11α-dihydroxy-3β-cinnamoyl-α-amyrin (antiarol cinnamate, 1) and a cardiac glycoside, 3β-O-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-14β-hydroperoxy-5β-hydroxy-19-oxo-17β-card-20(22)-enolide (africanoside, 2a), together with the known compounds β-amyrin and its acetate, β-sitosterol and its 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, friedelin, ursolic and oleanolic acid, 19-norperiplogenin, strophanthidol, strophanthidinic acid, periplogenin (3a), 3-epiperiplogenin, strophanthidin (3b) and 3,3'-dimethoxy-4'-O-β-D-xylopyronosyl-ellagic acid. Their structures were established on the basis of their spectroscopic data and by chemical methods, while 3a was additionally confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The aglycone moiety possessing a hydroperoxy group was found for the first time in cardenolides. Compounds 1 and 2a showed no activity against bacteria, fungi, and microalgae; however, the crude extract exhibited a high toxicity against Artemia salina and a selective antitumor activity against human tumor cell lines. Africanoside (2a) effected a concentration-dependent inhibition of tumor cell growth with a mean IC(50) value of 5.3 nM.
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