• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2003

We recently extracted lignans such as matairesinol and 2-hydroxyarctigenin from safflower seeds and found that they exhibit a potent cytotoxic effect on human promyleocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. In this study, we investigated whether mechanisms of the matairesinol-induced cell death are associated with the programmed cell death, apoptosis. Matairesinol dose-dependently reduced viability of HL-60 cells with an IC/sun 50/ value of 60 $\mu$M. Staining of cells with Hoechst 33342 revealed distinct morphological features of apoptosis, such as the nuclei broken into chromatin containing fragments of various sizes in the cells exposed to 100 $\mu$M matairesinol for 24 hr. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA from the cells treated with matairesinol showed internucleosomal DNA degradation into oligonucleosomal sizes. DNA ladder like patterns were easily detected after treatment with matairesinol concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 $\mu$M after 24 hr. In cells treated with 100 $\mu$M matairesinol for differing time periods, the DNA ladder was detectable from 6 hr onward. A time course histogram of the DNA content analyzed by flow cytometry revealed a rapid increase in subdiploid cells and a concomitant decrease in diploid cells exposed to 100 $\mu$M matairesinol. These results indicate that matairesinol-induced HL-60 cell death was due to the DNA damage and apoptosis.

• Plant Resources
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-45
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• 2000

To date many kinds of compounds have been obtained from plants kingdom as antineoplastic and anti-cancerous agents. However, there is no special type of compounds for cancer therapy. Various types of substances are effective for various types of cancers and tumors: for instance, alkaloids. lignans, terpenes and steroids etc. Curcumol obtained from Curcuma aromatica was tested and noticed to be effective against cancer of the uterine cervix clinically. Oridonin isolated from Rabdosia ssp. is now investigate for clinical trials in China. Moreover camptothecine isolated from Camptotheca acuminata is also antineoplastic alkaloid, but is very toxic. Chemical modification has been tried to decrease its toxicity This compound is now using as clinical agent. Harringtonin was investigated as an anticancerous drug in China. Taxol, a compound with a taxane ring isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifotia. has been demonstrated to have substantial anticancer activity in patients with solid tumors refractory standard chemotherapy. Supply of this drug has severely limited full exploration of its antineoplastic potential Some efforts are continued in National Cancer Institute(NCI) Washington for surveying various Taxus species for optimal taxol content, improvement in semi-synthesis from baccatin 111, improvement in method of extraction, and development of alternative renewable resources. Further, there are many compounds which have been reported as antineoplastic agents. On the other hand, we have screened on higher plants collected In Japan, China, Korea. Southeast Asia and South America for antineoplastic activity, which has been done using Sarcoma 180 ascites in mice, P388 Iymphocytic leukemia In mice, Chinese hamster lung V-79 cells, P388 cells and nasopharynx carcinoma(KB) cells in our laboratory, as primary screening. In this meeting, 1 will present on antitumor and cytotoxic substances of the higher plants(Rubis cordifolia, Ailanthus vilmoriniana, Aster tataricus, Taxus cuspidata var. nana, Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. drupacea, etc.) selected from above screening tests.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.665-670
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• 2014

We isolated twelve lignans and three terpenoids were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of Schisandra chinensis extract. Using spectroscopic data and comparison with available literature, the following compounds were identified: (1) wuweizisu C, (2) gomisin N, (3) deoxyschisandrin, (4) gomisin A, (5) schisandrin, (6) chamigrenal, (7) schisanlactone D, (8) methylgomisin O, (9) angeloylgomisin O, (10) (-)-gomisin $L_2$, (11) schisandronic acid, (12) (-)-gomisin $L_1$, (13) (+)-gomisin $K_3$, (14) gomisin J, and (15) tigloylgomisin H. Notably, this was the first finding that compound (8) was isolated from this plant. Each compound was evaluated for its in vitro cytotoxic activities toward HL-60 (human leukemia), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell lines. Compounds (7), (8), and (9) exhibited strong cytotoxic effects on HL-60 ($IC_{50}$ 7.37, 6.60, and $8.00{\mu}M$, respectively), whereas compound (6) exhibited weak cytotoxicity towards MCF-7 ($IC_{50}$ $30.50{\mu}M$). In addition, compound (8) showed the strongest activity towards HeLa cells ($IC_{50}$ $1.46{\mu}M$).