Isolation and characterisation of altissimin: a novel cytotoxic flavonoid C-apioglucoside from Drimia altissima (Asparagaceae)

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 717 - 725
• Main Authors: Nyambe, Mutenta N., Beukes, Denzil R., Van De Venter, Maryna, Swanepoel, Bresler, Hlangothi, Buyiswa G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 04.03.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Aglycones; altissimin; anti-proliferative; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; apigenin; Apigenin - chemistry; Asparagaceae; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Carbon-13 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Cell Death - drug effects; Cervical cancer; Cervix; Chemical bonds; Cytotoxicity; Drimia - chemistry; Drimia altissima; flavonoid C-glycoside; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - chemistry; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Glycosides; Glycosides - chemistry; Glycosides - isolation & purification; Glycosylation; HeLa Cells; Humans; Pharmacokinetics; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Residues; Drimia altissima; apigenin; flavonoid C-glycoside; altissimin; anti-proliferative
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2019.1596097

Flavonoids are a class of biologically active compounds with various proven nutraceutical benefits. In flavonoid C-glycosides, the aglycones are attached to sugar residues via cleavage-resistant C-C bonds which alter typical flavonoid pharmacokinetic properties. In these compounds, the combination of biological activities from the flavonoid moieties and sugar residues create unique and more diverse biological functions than those of O-glycosylated and unsubstituted flavonoids. Through a series of reverse phase chromatography techniques and various spectroscopic methods, the phytochemical investigation of Drimia altissima (L.F.) Ker Gawl., a specie from the Asparagaceae family, led to the isolation and chemical characterisation of a novel C-glucosylflavonoid, altissimin, with a unique apioglucoside arrangement to the apigenin aglycone. Altissimin was found to possess strong in vitro anti-proliferative activity against HeLa cervical cancer cells.