Planta Med 2020; 86(04): 239-246
DOI: 10.1055/a-1099-9786
Natural Product Chemistry and Analytical Studies
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Identification of Flavonoids and Bufadienolides and Cytotoxic Effects of Kalanchoe daigremontiana Extracts on Human Cancer Cell Lines

Justyna Stefanowicz-Hajduk
1   Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
,
Monika Asztemborska
2   Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
,
Mirosława Krauze-Baranowska
3   Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
,
Sylwia Godlewska
3   Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
,
Magdalena Gucwa
1   Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
,
Barbara Moniuszko-Szajwaj
4   Department of Biochemistry and Crop Quality, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
,
Anna Stochmal
4   Department of Biochemistry and Crop Quality, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
,
J. Renata Ochocka
1   Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 22 August 2019
revised 30 December 2019

accepted 10 January 2020

Publication Date:
28 January 2020 (online)

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Abstract

Kalanchoe species are well-known medicinal plants used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory and analgesic remedies. Recently, it has been reported that Kalanchoe plants have cytotoxic properties; however, data on traditional use of these plants in tumor treatment are extremely limited. Kalanchoe daigremontiana is one of the most popular species cultivated in Europe, and it is used, among other things, as a remedy in treating skin injuries and wounds. Studies on the biological activity of this species are scarce, and there is a lack of data on the cytotoxic activity of K. daigremontiana extracts on epithelial cancer cells in the literature. In our present study, we analyzed the phytochemical composition of K. daigremontiana ethanol extract and fractions–water and dichloromethane–by the HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS method and estimated cytotoxic activity of the extracts on human adenocarcinoma (HeLa), ovarian (SKOV-3), breast (MCF-7), and melanoma (A375) cell lines by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, real-time cell analyzer (RTCA), and flow cytometry. We identified 6 bufadienolide compounds and 19 flavonoids, mostly kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and myricetin glycosides, of which only 3 flavonoids have been identified in K. daigremontiana to date. Other flavonoids that were characterized in our study have not yet been found in this plant. The ethanol extract and water fraction of K. daigremontiana did not show significant cytotoxic activity on the tested cell lines. In contrast, the dichloromethane fraction showed the strongest activity against all cell lines with IC50 values of ≤ 10 µg/mL. The results indicated that this activity is mainly due to the presence of bersaldegenin-1,3,5-orthoacetate.

Supporting Information