Isolation and antimitotic activity of lactones extracted from Podophyllum emodi

Abstract

Starting from the Podophyllum emodi, by means of solubility techniques in chloroform, bencene and ether, three groups of different lactones are extracted. This lac­ tones correspond to total cumarinic lactones (LAC-C), lactones soluble in chloroform and insoluble in bencene (LAC-N), lactones insoluble in chloroform (LAC-E).

The use of thin layer and preparative chromatography permits to take off seven lactonic groups of the LAC-C complex and two of the LAC-N and three of the LAC-E. Accomplished its extraction and tests of accute toxicity in mice, tolerable dose of the different compounds are administrated by intraperitoneal way in the mice bearer of the Ehrlich’s Ascitic Carcinome.
The mitotic cycle is analysed during 72 hours by succesive smear and having as a comparative pattern the podofilotoxine.
Appears a very strong mitotis inhibition with metaphasic blockade in the LAC-C group.
The LAC-C, the antimitotic action is very low, lacking of colchicinic effect in the metaphasic blockade.
The inhibitory mitotic action of all the lactones extracted is lower to the one founded, under similar experimental conditions, with the podofilotoxine.