Isolation of Anticancer Compounds from Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. Roots

This study was conducted to isolate a compound with anticancer properties from the roots of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. (Umbelliferae), and to evaluate the efficacy of that compound's anticancer activity. The $CHCl_3$ layer was purified via repeated column chromatography and recrystallization. The two compounds isolated from $CHCl_3$ layer were identified via NMR spectroscopic analysis as (10E) 1,10-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,8,9-triol (Comp. I) and anomalin (Comp. II). (10E) 1,10-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,8,9-triol was the first report from the roots of P. japonicum. MTT assays were conducted to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic activities of Compounds I and II against the following human cancer cell lines: HeLa, HepG2, SNU-16, and AGS. Comp. I evidenced the most profound cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells ($IC_{50}=6.04{\mu}g/mL$), and Comp. II exhibited the most profound cytotoxic activity against SNU-16 cells ($IC_{50}=18.24{\mu}g/mL$) among the human cancer cell lines tested in this study. However, no significant cell death was observed in the CCD-25Lu human normal lung fibroblast cells. Quantitative analysis using UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) showed that the roots of P. japonicum contained 0.015 (Comp. I) and 1.69 mg/g (Comp. II) of these compounds.