VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2012)

Philipp. Sci. Lett. 2012 5 (1) 046-052
available online: March 09, 2012

*Corresponding author
Email Address: consolacion.ragasa@dlsu.edu.ph
Submitted: September 22, 2011
Revised: October 21, 2011
Accepted: December 27, 2011

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ARTICLE

Cytotoxic Isothiocyanates from Moringa oleifera Lam Seeds

by Consolacion Y. Ragasa^1,*, Ruel M. Levida¹, Ming-Jaw Don² and Chien-Chang Shen²

¹ Chemistry Department and Center for Natural Sciences and Ecological Research,
De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 1004, Philippines
² National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, 155-1, Li-Nong St., Sec. 2,
Taipei 112, Taiwan

The dichloromethane extract of the freeze-driedseeds of Moringa oleifera Lam afforded 4-(4'-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate(1), 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate(2), squalene (3) and sitosterol (4). Thedichloromethane extract of the air-dried leaves of M. oleiferaafforded polyprenol (5), phytyl fatty acid ester (6) and lutein (7).The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by extensive 1D and2D NMR spectroscopy, while those of 3-7 were identified bycomparison of their ¹³C NMR data with those reported in theliterature.

Isothiocyanates 1 and 2 were evaluated for cytotoxicityagainst the human cancer cell lines, non-small cell lungadenocarcinoma (A549) and colon carcinoma (HCT 116), andthe non-cancer cell line Chinese hamster ovary cells (AA8)using the MTT cytotoxicity assay. Compounds 1 and 2 werecytotoxic against A549 with IC₅₀ values of 10 and 12 µM,respectively, while the positive control, Doxorubicin gave anIC₅₀ value of 4 µM. Isothiocyanates 1 and 2 were also cytotoxicagainst HCT 116 with IC₅₀ values of 12 and 11 µM, respectivelywhile Doxorubicin exhibited an IC₅₀ value of 3 µM. Compounds1, 2 and Doxorubicin were also cytotoxic against AA8 with IC₅₀values of 22, 15 and 4 µM, respectively.