Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Cytotoxic and antioxidant potentials of ellagic acid derivatives from Conocarpus lancifolius (Combretaceae)

Malik Saadullah¹ , Muhammad Asif^1,2, Abdul Sattar³, Kanwal Rehman⁴, Shahid Shah¹, Mohammad Saleem⁵, Ajmal Shah¹, Muhammad Wajid⁶, Akhtar Rasool¹, Muhammad Uzair⁷, Samina Afzal⁷, Khurram Afzal⁷

¹Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad; ²Department of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur; ³College of Agriculture Bahadur Campus, Layyah Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan; ⁴Institute of Pharmacy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; ⁵University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab; ⁶Institute of Pharmacy Gulab Devi Educational Complex, Ferozepur Road, Lahore; ⁷Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahaudin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.

For correspondence:- Malik Saadullah Email: maliksaadullah@gcuf.edu.pk

Accepted: 17 April 2020 Published: 31 May 2020

Citation: Saadullah M, Asif M, Sattar A, Rehman K, Shah S, Saleem M, et al. Cytotoxic and antioxidant potentials of ellagic acid derivatives from Conocarpus lancifolius (Combretaceae). Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(5):1073-1080 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i5.24

© 2020 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: Isolation, characterisation and structure elucidation of compounds obtained from Conocarpus lancifolius and screening of their pharmacological effects in vitro.

Methods: After collection, authentication and extraction from whole C. lancifolius plants, screening for secondary metabolites, thin-layer chromatography and subsequent open column chromatography were performed for phytochemical analysis and subsequent purification of the compounds. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic (UV-visible, infrared and mass) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR including BB, DEPT-135, 90 and two-dimensional correlation techniques, including HMBC and HSQC). The cytotoxic and antioxidant potentials of extracts and compounds obtained from C. lancifolius were evaluated using in vitro models.

Results: Two ellagic acid derivatives, 2,3,8-tri-o-methylellagic acid (A) and 3-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (B), were isolated. Both compounds (A and B) were cytotoxic in a variety of cancer cell lines, including murine lymphocytic leukaemia (P-388, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 3.60 and 2.40 µg/mL, respectively), human colon cancer (Col-2, IC₅₀ = 0.76 and 0.92 µg/mL, respectively) and human breast cancer (MCF-7, IC₅₀ = 0.65 and 0.54 µg/mL, respectively). Moreover, both compounds showed significant antioxidant potential in vitro.

Conclusion: C. lancifolius extract and isolated ellagic acid derivatives (compounds A and B) possess cytotoxic and antioxidant properties. These findings suggest that C. lancifolius contains bioactive compounds that can be potentially developed as natural cytotoxic and antioxidant compounds.

Keywords: Conocarpus lancifolius, Ellagic acid, Combretaceae, Cytotoxic activity, Antioxidant