本研究乃將大葉南蛇藤 (Celastrus kusanoi) 與光果南蛇藤 (Celastrus punctatus) 的莖分別進行成份分離及生物活性探討。由大葉南蛇藤的CHCl3萃取液中分離得到一個新化合物,3β-trans-(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyloxy) -11α-hydroxy-urs-12-ene (2) 以及五個已知物分別為3β-hydroxy-5,8-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene (1)、cholest-5-ene-3β,4β-diol (3)、nimbidiol (4)、β-sitosterol (5)、β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6)。由光果南蛇藤的CHCl3萃取液中得到三個已知物,分別為β-amyrin (7)、β-sitosterol (8) 和β-amyrin palmitate (9),並進行生物活性試驗。探討β-amyrin (7) 和β-amyrin palmitate (9) 這類五環三萜類 (pentacyclic triterpenes) 化合物對於NTUB1人類膀胱癌細胞毒殺活性、誘導或抑制活性氧分子 (Reactive Oxygen Species,ROS) 作用及腫瘤細胞週期停滯 (cell cycle arrest) 研究。結果顯示β-amyrin palmitate (9) 脂溶性大,實驗過程會析出,故不採計其結果。而β-amyrin (7) 有細胞毒殺的活性,進一步探討發現β-amyrin (7) 有誘導ROS的產生及使NTUB1細胞週期停滯在G1 phase產生細胞凋亡作用。同時發現β-amyrin (7) 與抗癌藥物cisplatin併用時,有助於提升cisplatin細胞毒殺的效果,未來在臨床治療上與cisplatin併用,也許可減少cisplatin治療時所帶來的副作用。這個結果開啟了日後對於三萜類藥物開發的興趣,作為未來有潛力的抗癌藥物。
A new terpenoid, 3β-trans-(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyloxy) -11α-hydroxy-urs-12-ene (2) and five known compounds, 3β-hydroxy-5,8-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene (1), cholest-5-ene-3β,4β-diol (3), nimbidiol (4), β-sitosterol (5) and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6) were isolated from the stems of Celastrus kusanoi by chromatography with silica gel column and determined by spectroscopic methods. Three known compounds, β-amyrin (7), β-sitosterol (8) and β-amyrin palmitate (9) were isolated from the stems of Celastrus punctatus, another plant of the genus Celastrus. In pharmacological studies, β-amyrin (7), a pentacyclic triterpene, revealed significant cytotoxic activity and induced ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species). In cell cycle distribution assay, β-amyrin (7) was arrested NTUB1 cells in G1 phase. The cytotoxic activity of β-amyrin (7) may have the relationship with inducing production of ROS and cell cycle arrest. β-Amyrin (7) also enhanced the cytotoxic activity of cisplatin. Combination of cisplatin and β-amyrin (7) will improve clinical response and lower the side effect of cisplatin. This finding opens interesting perspects for further exploration of the triterpenoids as potential anticancer drugs.