Planta Med. 2003 Apr; 69(4): 361-6.

Three new jatrophane-type diterpenes from Euphorbia pubescens.

Valente C, Ferreira MJ, Abreu PM, Pedro M, Cerqueira F, Nascimento MS.

Centro de Estudos de CiÃªncias FarmacÃªuticas, Faculdade de FarmÃ¡cia da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.

Three new macrocyclic jatrophane diterpene polyesters, named pubescenes A ( 1), B ( 2), and C ( 3), and the known compounds indole-3-aldehyde and scopoletin have been isolated and characterised from the whole dried plant of Euphorbia pubescens. The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic means including 2D-NMR techniques such as COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY experiments. Compounds 1 - 3 were evaluated for their in vitro effect on the growth of three human cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast), NCI-H460 (lung) and SF-268 (CNS) as well as for their capacity to interfere with the proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. They exhibited a moderate growth inhibitory effect on the cancer cell line NCI-H460. No effect was observed on the mitogenic response of human lymphocytes to PHA.