Cytotoxic Podophyllotoxin Type-Lignans from the Steam Bark of Bursera fagaroides var. fagaroides

The hydroalcoholic extract of the steam bark of B. fagaroides var. fagaroides displayed potent cytotoxic activity against four cancer cell lines, namely KB (ED50 = 9.6 x 10(-2) mu g/mL), PC-3 (ED50 = 2.5 x 10(-1) mu g/mL), MCF-7 (ED50 = 6.6 mu g/mL), and HF-6 (ED50 = 7.1 x 10(-3) mu g/mL). This extract also showed anti-tumour activity when assayed on mice inoculated with L5178Y lymphoma cells. Bioactivity-directed isolation of this extract, afforded seven podophyllotoxin-type lignans identified as podophyllotoxin (1), beta-peltatin-A-methylether (2), 5'-desmethoxy-beta-peltatin-A-methylether (3), desmethoxy-yatein (4), desoxypodophyllotoxin (5), burseranin (6), and acetyl podophyllotoxin (7) by 1D and 2DNMR and FAB-MS analyses, and comparison with reported values. All the isolated compounds showed potent cytotoxic activity in the cell lines tested, especially compound 3, which exhibited greater activity than camptothecin and podophyllotoxin against PC-3 (ED50 = 1.0 x 10(-5) mu g/mL), and KB (ED50 = 1.0 x 10(-5) mu g/mL). This is the first report of the isolation of podophyllotoxin and its acetate in a Bursera species.