Planta Med 2002; 68(5): 454-457
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-32068
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Antiproliferative Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids Isolated from the Bulbs of Sprekelia formosissima and Hymenocallis × festalis

Judit Hohmann1 , Peter Forgo2 , Joseph Molnár3 , Krisztina Wolfard3 , Annamária Molnár3 , Theresia Thalhammer4 , Imre Máthé1 , Derek Sharples5
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
  • 2Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
  • 3Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
  • 4Department of Pathophysiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • 5Research Group in Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, U.K.
Further Information

Publication History

June 27, 2001

October 7, 2001

Publication Date:
07 June 2002 (online)

Abstract

Seven alkaloids were isolated from Sprekelia formosissima, and five from Hymenocallis × festalis. Tazettine, lycorine, haemanthidine and haemanthamine were evaluated for antiproliferative and multidrug resistance (mdr) reversing activity on mouse lymphoma cells. Lycorine, haemanthidine and haemanthamine displayed pronounced cell growth inhibitory activities against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cell lines, but did not significantly inhibit mdr-1 p-glycoprotein. Thus, the tested alkaloids are apparently not substrates for the mdr efflux pump. Assays for interactions with DNA and RNA revealed that the antiproliferative effects of lycorine and haemanthamine result from their complex formation with RNA.

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Dr. Judit Hohmann

Department of Pharmacognosy

University of Szeged

P.O. Box 121

6701 Szeged

Hungary

Email: hohmann@pharma.szote.u-szeged.hu

Fax: (+36) 62 545704