Planta Med 2005; 71(7): 683-685
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-871277
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antimitotic Properties of Pterocarpans Isolated from Platymiscium floribundum on Sea Urchin Eggs

Gardênia Carmen Gadelha Militão1 , Paula Christine Jimenez1 , Diego Veras Wilke1 , Cláudia Pessoa1 , Maria José Cajazeiras Falcão2 , Mary Anne Sousa Lima2 , Edilberto Rocha Silveira2 , Manoel Odorico de Moraes1 , Letícia Veras Costa-Lotufo1
  • 1Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil
  • 2Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil
Further Information

Publication History

Received: September 3, 2004

Accepted: January 10, 2005

Publication Date:
18 July 2005 (online)

Abstract

This study reports the antimitotic effects on sea urchin eggs of five known pterocarpans: (+)-3,10-dihydroxy-9-methoxypterocarpan, (+)-3,9-dimethoxypterocarpan [(+)-homopterocarpin], (+)-2,3,9-trimethoxypterocarpan, (+)-3,4-dihydroxy-9-methoxypterocarpan [(+)-vesticarpan] and (+)-3-hydroxy-9-methoxypterocarpan [(+)-medicarpin], isolated from the trunk of Platymiscium floribundum, a native tree from Brazil. All tested compounds showed strong activity in this assay, with 2,3,9-trimethoxypterocarpan being the most active (log IC50 of -8.10 ± 0.02; -7.91 ± 0.01; -7.97 ± 0.02 M for first and third cleavages, and blastulae stages, respectively). These data suggest that the 2-methoxy substituent can be an important pharmacophoric unit.

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Letícia Veras Costa-Lotufo

Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia,

Universidade Federal do Ceará

Rua Cel Nunes de Melo 1127

Caixa Postal-3157

60430-270 Fortaleza

Ceará

Brasil

Phone: +55-85-4009-8255

Fax: +55-85-4009-8333

Email: lvcosta@secrel.com.br