ARS | Publication request: BIOACTIVE CRUDE PLANT SEED EXTRACTS FROM THE NCAUR OILSEED REPOSITORY

Submitted to: Phytomedicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 21, 2002
Publication Date: August 1, 2003
Citation: CANTRELL, C.L., BERHOW, M.A., PHILLIPS, B.S., DUVAL, S.M., WEISLEDER, D., VAUGHN, S.F. BIOACTIVE CRUDE PLANT SEED EXTRACTS FROM THE NCAUR OILSEED REPOSITORY. PHYTOMEDICINE. 2003. V. 10. P. 325-333.

Interpretive Summary: Seeds from greater than 200 different plant species from 131 different plant families were assayed for their ability to kill brine shrimp. Of the greater than 400 extracts tested, 27 extracts demonstrated potent activity in the simple bioassay system. The exact chemical structure causing this activity was then determined in three of these organic extracts which were extremely potent and had not been previously investigated. These extracts and compounds can be used in investigations regarding their use as pesticides and/or for the prevention or curing of human diseases such as cancer, or those caused by virus, fungi, or bacteria.

Technical Abstract: Over four-hundred crude extracts from 202 plant species distributed among 131 plant families were evaluated for their bioactivity against brine shrimp (Artemia salina). Activity was determined for both the organic (CH2Cl2:MeOH) and aqueous extracts against A. salina in a 96 well-plate assay. Of the greater than 400 extracts tested, 21 organic and 6 aqueous extracts demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity [LC(50) = <100 mg/mL]. Three of these organic extracts (Crateva religiosa, Diospyros dichrophylla and Olax subscorpioidea) were chosen for chemical investigations due to their lack of prior investigations. Chemical analysis of these extracts resulted in the isolation of oleanolic acid, 4-epi-hederagenin from C. religiosa, isodiospyrin from D. dichrophylla, and santalbic acid from O. subscorpioidea.