Cytotoxic naphthoquinones from Diospyros fleuryana leaves

Abstract

In the search for anti-cancer plants in Vietnam, the leaves of Diospyros fleuryana were selected for chemical investigation. Phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract led to the isolation of two naphthoquinones isodiospyrin (1), and 8'-hydroxyisodiospyrin (2), and one isoflavone 7-O-methylbiochanin A (3). The chemical structures of isolated compounds were determined by 1D-NMR (1H, and 13C-NMR), 2D-NMR spectra (HSQC, and HMBC), and MS spectroscopy. Compound 3 was isolated from genus Diospyros for the first time. Regarding the strong IC50 values of 2.27, and 8.0 µM against KB, and Hep cell lines respectively, cytotoxic examination suggested that compound 2 is a promising agent in anti-cancer treatment.Â