DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v24i4.19

Keywords: Ebenaceae, Diospyros foxworthyi, triterpenoids, cytotoxic activity, HT-29 colon cancer

Abstract

Diospyros foxworthyi is a tropical plant species of Ebenaceae family. This plant is native to Malaysia. This genus is rich with pentacyclic triterpenoids in the form of lupane-based skeletons, which subsequently intrigue to further its phytochemical findings. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from the bark of the plant was studied through the isolation, purification and structural elucidation processes resulting in the discovery of three known yet interesting lupane-based backbone compounds, namely betulin (1), lupeol (2) and lupenone (3). The isolated compounds were purified using the chromatographic technique (column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography). The structure of these compounds was elucidated and characterised by using spectroscopic methods consisting of 1D- and 2D-NMR in combination with FT-IR analysis and later compared with the literatures. These triterpenoids 1-3 were subjected to cytotoxic activity using MTT assay against HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma. The observed result showed that compounds 1 and 2 are able to suppress the growth of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 13.49 ± 0.53 and 37.57 ± 4.11 µM, respectively. This is the first report on chemical constituents isolated from Diospyros foxworthyi and their cytotoxic activity on HT-29 colorectal adenocarcinoma.