Low effects on cytotoxicity against neuroblastoma cancer cell line (SK-N-SH) and free-radical scavenging activity of Stemona alkaloids

Abstract

Stemona plants contain alkaloids with different skeletal types. They are well-characterized and are commonly used for insecticide, killing head lice, treating skin diseases, antitussive, and anticancer treatment. Eleven Stemona alkaloids of three skeletal types, protestemonine-, croomine-, and stichoneurine-type, i.e. protostemonine-type (didehydrostemofoline, stemofoline, stemocurtisine, stemocurtisinol, stemokerrine, oxystemokerrine), croomine-type (croomine), and stichoneurine-type (tuberostemonine, tuberostemonine A, tuberostemonine N, neotuberostemonine) were isolated from various Stemona roots and investigated for their cytotoxicity and free radical scavenging activity, which have not yet been reported. Cytotoxicity on neuroblastoma cancer cell (SK-N-SH) was determined by MTT assay, while free radical scavenging activity was investigated using the DPPH radical scavenging method. Protostemonine type alkaloids possessed insignificant effect on the cytotoxicity and free radical scavenging activity, while croomine and stichoneurine type alkaloids showed weak to moderate effects.