Differential cytotoxic activity of the petroleum ether extract and its furanosesquiterpenoid constituents from Commiphora molmol resin

Ayyad, S.E.N.; Hoye, T. R.; Alarif, W. M.; Al Ahmadi, S. M.; Basaif, S. A.; Ghandourah, M. A.; Badria, F. A. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C. 201570, 87–92. 

Abstract

This study revealed a differential cytotoxic activity of the petroleum ether extract (IC50=5 μg/mL) of the resinous exudates of Commiphora molmol against two mouse cell lines KA31T and NIH3T3 (untransformed and transformed mouse fibroblasts, respectively). Four new compounds (1–4) and five known compounds (5–9) were isolated from the petroleum ether extract. The identity of these new compounds was determined as γ-elemane lactone (1), 5-αH,8-βH-eudesma-1,3,7(11)-trien-8,12-olide (2), 2-hydroxy-11,12-dihydrofuranodiene (3), and 2-hydroxyfuranodiene (4). 1 and 2 displayed the highest cytotoxic activity against NIH3T3 cells. 7 and 9 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against KA31T cells. Compounds 3–6 showed weak cytotoxic activities against both cell lines. These results may explain the high efficacy of the petroleum ether fraction in several myrrh-derived pharmaceutical preparations.