General behavior, toxicity, and cytotoxic activity of elenoside, a lignan from Justicia hyssopifolia

Cytotoxicity, acute toxicity, and general pharmacological effects in mice of an arylnaphthalene lignan isolated from Justicia hyssopifolia were studied. Elenoside was cytotoxic to human cancer cell lines in a range of concentrations from 10(-5) to 10(-4) M. It has an LD50, ip in mice, of 305 mg/kg and central depressive properties at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg. Thus, elenoside appears to be a sedative with broad spectrum cytotoxicity.