Cytotoxic pregnane steroids from the seeds of Cipadessa baccifera (Roth.) Miq.

A chemical investigation of the 80% ethanol extract of the seeds of Cipadessa baccifera (Roth.) Miq. led to the isolation of five new pregnane steroids, 17α,18,20S-trihydroxy-pregn-4-en-3,16-dione (1), 18-hydoxy-pregn-4,17(20)-trans-dien-3,16-dione (2), 3β,18-dihydroxy-pregn-5,17(20)-trans-dien-16-one (3), 2α,3β,4β,18-tetrahydroxy-pregn-5,17(20)-trans-dien-16-one (4), and 2α,3β,4β,17α,18,20S-hexahydroxy-pregn-5-en-16-one (5), along with two known compounds, 17α,20S-dihydroxy-pregn-4-en-3,16-dione (6) and 3β-hydroxy-pregn-5,17-dien-16-one (7). Structural elucidation of all the compounds was accomplished by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D NMR, IR, UV, and HRESIMS. The isolated compounds were tested in vitro for cytotoxic activities against seven tumor cell lines. As a result, pregnane-type steroids 1, 5 and 6 exhibited cytotoxicity with IC50 values < 20 μM against all tested tumor cell lines except meningioma cells (BEN-MEN-1).

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