Abstract
Bioassay-directed isolation has yielded some cytotoxic substances against L1210 cell from the Korean traditional medicine. These include 5,2'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,6'-teramethoxyflavone $(IV,\;scutellaria\;root,\;ED_{50}\;=\;1.7\;{mu}g/ml)$, 7-geranyloxycoumarin $(XXXII,\;poncirus\;fruit,\;10.2\;{mu}g/ml) $and panaxydol $(I,\;white\;ginseng,\;0.03\;{mu}g/ml)$. IV, XXXII and their derivatives were synthesized in the purpose of in vivo tests and for observation of structure-activity relations. Among the flavone derivatives, 5,2',6'-trihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxy flavone (XVIII), 5-hydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxy-6'-benzyloxyflavone (XVII) and 5,8-dihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone (X) showed the cytotoxicity which has no correlation to the flavone structures. Of the coumarins synthesized, 7,8-dihydroxycoumarin (XXVI), 6-7-dihydroxycoumarin (XXIX) and 6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxycoumarin (XXXI) showed considerable activities. Acetylated XXXI has moderate activity $(ED_{50}=17.2\;{mu}g/ml)$. Monobydroxycoumarins or their methyl and allyl ether were inactive. IV inhibits the growth of the solid form of S-180 by 70% at 40 mg/kg and shows T/C of 166% on the ascitic S-180 at 40 mg/kg. It strongly inhibits the activity of the membrane bounded ATPase from L1210 cell. The most cytotoxic fraction of the antitumor materials studied is the one from the trichosanthes root showing $ED_{50}=0. 0003\;{mu}g/ml$ against L1210 cell. This fraction, obtained from ethyl acetate extract, showed T/C of 130 and 135%, on ICR mice bearing S-180 and $BDF_1$ mice bearing L1210 at 10 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg, respectively.