Title:Cytotoxic Activity of Tropane Alkaloides of Species of Erythroxylum
Volume: 21
Issue: 17
Author(s): José F. Araújo Neto, Erika M. de O. Ribeiro*, Ademir E. do Vale, Jorge M. David and Juceni P. David
Affiliation:
- Departamento Ciencias da Vida – DCV, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Bahia,Brazil
Keywords:
Erythroxylum, cytotoxic activity, potential chemotherapeutic, tropane alkaloids, natural products, cells lines.
Abstract: Erythroxylaceae is a family composed of four genera, with Erythroxylum being the only
one represented in the Neotropical region. Chemical studies indicate the presence of alkaloids, terpenes,
flavonoids, and phenolic compounds as main compounds. The incorporation of cytotoxic activity
assays of natural products using cell cultures assists in the selection of potential chemotherapeutic
agents. In this work, we describe a revision of the cytotoxicity evaluation studies performed with extracts
or pure substances obtained from Erythroxylum species through an integrative review. We
found studies that evaluated the cytotoxic activity of 21 species of Erythroxylum against 45 different
cell lines. The analysis of the chemical composition of these species shows that the metabolites present
in each species influence their cytotoxic potential, especially the presence of disubstituted tropane
alkaloid species with the highest cytotoxic potential. MTT and Sulforrodamine B assays were the
main in vitro tests used for the evaluation of the cytotoxic activities. From the total species, less than
10% of the Erythroxylum species have already been evaluated for cytotoxic activity. Four of them
showed high cytotoxic activity according to the criteria of the NCI plant screening program. Thus, this
genus represents a potential source of natural products with antitumor activity.
