Antiproliferative effects of mitraphylline, a pentacyclic oxindole alkaloid of Uncaria tomentosa on human glioma and neuroblastoma cell lines

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 280 - 284
• Main Authors: Prado, E. Garcia, Gimenez, M.D. Garcia, De la Puerta Vazquez, R, Sanchez, J.L. Espartero, Rodriguez, M.T. Saenz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01-04-2007; Urban & Fischer Verlag
• Subjects: Alkaloids - administration & dosage; Alkaloids - pharmacology; Alkaloids - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Antiproliferative activity; Care and treatment; Cat's Claw; Cell Line, Tumor - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Glioma; Glioma - drug therapy; Gliomas; Health aspects; Humans; Indole Alkaloids - administration & dosage; Indole Alkaloids - pharmacology; Indole Alkaloids - therapeutic use; Indoles - administration & dosage; Indoles - pharmacology; Indoles - therapeutic use; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Medicinal plants; Neuroblastoma; Neuroblastoma - drug therapy; Oxindole alkaloid; Phytotherapy; Plant Bark; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rubiaceae; Uncaria tomentosa; Uncaria tomentosa; Neuroblastoma; Antiproliferative activity; Glioma; Oxindole alkaloid
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2006.12.023

Uncaria tomentosa inner bark extract is a popular plant remedy used in folk medicine to treat tumor and inflammatory processes. In this study, the anti-tumoral effects of its pentacyclic alkaloid mitraphylline were investigated. Furthermore, its growth-inhibitory and cytotoxic effects on glioma GAMG and neuroblastoma SKN-BE(2) cell lines were studied using cyclophosphamide and vincristine as controls. A colter counter was used to determine viable cell numbers, followed by application of the tetrazolium compound [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium], inner salt, colorimetric method to evaluate cell viability in this cytotoxicity assay. Micromolar concentrations of mitraphylline (from 5 to 40
μM) inhibited the growth of both cell lines. It inhibited the growth of the two cell lines studied in a dose-dependent manner. The IC
50 values were 12.3
μM (30
h) for SKN-BE(2) and 20
μM (48
h) for GAMG, respectively. This action suggests that mitraphylline is a new and promising agent in the treatment of human neuroblastoma and glioma.