[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Seeds of C. libani have been extracted through ultrasound-assisted maceration and evaluated in order to
check their antiproliferative and erythroid differentiation properties. Preliminary chemical compositions
of the extracts have been also performed with the object to identify the chemical classes mainly
responsible of the bioactivity. Chloroform and ethanol extracts were tested for growth inhibition and
erythroid differentiation induction in K562 cells. Both the extracts were then analysed by GC and GCMS.
Chloroform extracts evidenced the predominant presence of terpenes, the monoterpenes α- and β-
pinene checked as the most abundant (34.42±1.22 % and 33.28±1.08 % respectively), and most probably
directly involved in the antiproliferative activity against K562 cells (IC50=69.20±1.69 μg/ml). Ethanol
extracts evidenced a slightly higher antiproliferative activity (IC50=40.57±1.16 μg/ml) which could be
mainly related to abietane diterpenoids and to the less abundant palmitic acid (0.53±0.03 %) and methyl
linoleate (1.43±0.12 %). Erythroid differentiation assays showed the better performance of ethanol
extracts (16.00±1.52 % at 10 μg/ml), with respect to that lower of chloroform ones (12.00 ±1.25 % at 50
μg/ml). This first report about C. libani seed extracts sheds a light both on the health importance of this
lebanese plant specie and, in particular, on natural compounds researches for treatments of human blood
related diseases.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical & Biological Archives. 01/2011; 2(6):1744-1748.
