Affiliations 

  • 1 Division of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 7008530, Japan. maram_garland1983@yahoo.com
  • 2 Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Al-Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia. salem_tarek@yahoo.com
  • 3 Division of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 7008530, Japan
  • 4 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koom 32512, Egypt
  • 5 Biochemistry Division, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koom 32512, Egypt
  • 6 Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
  • 7 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
  • 8 Pharmacognosy Group, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
  • 9 Al-Rayan Research and Innovation Center, Al-Rayan Colleges, Medina 42541, Saudi Arabia
  • 10 Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
  • 11 Clinical Research Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, 14186 Huddinge, Sweden
  • 12 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koom 32512, Egypt. hesham.el-Seedi@ilk.uu.se
Molecules, 2019 Jul 08;24(13).
PMID: 31288458 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132495

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: Plants play an important role in anti-cancer drug discovery, therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the biological activity of Alpinia zerumbet (A. zerumbet) flowers.

METHODS: The phytochemical and biological criteria of A. zerumbet were in vitro investigated as well as in mouse xenograft model.

RESULTS: A. zerumbet extracts, specially CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts, exhibited the highest potent anti-tumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. The most active CH2Cl2 extract was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation leading to isolatation of the naturally occurring 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) which was characterized by IR, MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. A. zerumbet extracts, specially MeOH and CH2Cl2 extracts, exhibited significant inhibitory activity towards tumor volume (TV). Furthermore, A. zerumbet extracts declined the high level of malonaldehyde (MDA) as well as elevated the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in liver tissue homogenate. Moreover, DK showed anti-proliferative action on different human cancer cell lines. The recorded IC50 values against breast carcinoma (MCF-7), liver carcinoma (Hep-G2) and larynx carcinoma cells (HEP-2) were 3.08, 6.8, and 8.7 µg/mL, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings open the door for further investigations in order to explore the potential medicinal properties of A. zerumbet.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.