Cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of artathomsonine, a new oxoberberine alkaloid from (annonaceae).

A phytochemical investigation of the liana of led to the isolation of a new oxoberberine alkaloid, 2,10-dihydroxy-3,9-dimethoxy-8-oxo-protoberberine (), along with six known compounds. Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1 D and 2 D NMR spectroscopic methods and HRESI-MS data analysis. Compounds and were selected for further investigations. In accordance with expectations from their chemical structures, compounds and showed a clear antioxidant activity in a cell-free assay, with compound being 7-fold more active than . Cytotoxicity, cytostatic and genotoxic effects only occurred at high micromolar concentrations of 50 µM or more. Compound was slightly less effective than compound . A low micromolar concentration of 10 µM did not cause any damaging cellular effects but showed potential for a protection against the micronucleus-inducing effect of reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide, although not to a significant extent.