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The broader objective of this study is to identify natural materials that might inhibit the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We have focused on stingless bee honey, which has a unique taste that is both sweet and sour and sometimes bitter. We screened 12 samples of honey from 11 species of stingless bees using an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-spike protein-binding assay and phytochemical analysis. Ten of the samples showed inhibition above 50% in this assay system. Most of the honey contained tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids and carbohydrates. Our findings in this in vitro study showed that honey from stingless bees may have a potent effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection by inhibiting the ACE2-spike protein-binding.

Metformin is one of the most prescribed agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its history goes back to the use of goat’s rue (Galega officinalis Linn., Fabaceae). G. officinalis is rich in galegine, a guanidine derivative with a blood glucose-lowering effect. Research based on the effects of guanidine rich on this traditional herbal medicine led to the development of metformin. Metformin continues to serve as a multi-target drug. Its benefits for treating/controlling several diseases were thoroughly discovered over time. These include health disorders such as cancers, obesity, periodontitis, cardiovascular, liver, skin, and renal disorders. Moreover, there is evidence to propose that metformin postpones the aging processes as well as modulates the microbiota to promote better health. So far, it is not fully understood, how metformin can accomplish such pleiotropic pharmacological and therapeutic effects. Metformin may decrease malignancy via suppressing the signal of insulin/IGF-1, avoiding the release of cytokines via NF-κB, and increasing the immune reaction to cancer cells. This chapter discusses the history of metformin discovery, chemistry, its role in diabetic patients, and proposed molecular mechanisms to shed more light on the diverse effects and its ability to target multiple signaling pathways.

Six phenolic compounds were isolated from the solid rice culture media of Alternaria sp., an endophyte isolated from the leaves of three desert plants, Lycium schweinfurthii Dammer (Solanaceae), Pancratium maritimum L. (Amaryllidaceae) and Cynanchum acutum L. (Apocynaceae).

Bassia indica and Agathophora alopecuroides could be utilized as potential sources of candidate compounds for the management of Alzheimer disease.

Four new natural compounds named hericenone O (1), hericenone P (2), hericenone Q (3), and hericenone R (4), two of them were reported synthetically (3–4), together with eleven known compounds were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Hericium erinaceus. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by using NMR analysis and mass spectrometry, as well as comparisons with the reported data in the literature. The bioactivity evaluation revealed that hericenone Q showed significant cytotoxic activity against Hep-G2 with IC50 values of 23.89 μM, and against HCT-116 with IC50 values of 65.64 μM.

We collected stingless bee propolis Tetragonula biroi in order to find materials for medicine and cosmetics applications from tropical rainforest resources. Even though this bee has some biological functions including a cancer cell line, hair growth promotion, asthma remedy, α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, and antiviral action, the investigation on anti-acne has not been reported yet. This study was to focus on propolis Tetragonula biroi extracts and leads us to isolate active compounds for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-acne. We used methanol to obtain the extract from this propolis and assayed it with antioxidants, anti-inflammation, and anti-acne. The extract showed strong activity in antioxidants by DPPH radical scavenging activity (82.31% in 6.25 μg/ml). Via a column chromatography and Reveleris PREP purification system, we isolated 3'-O-methyldiplacone, nymphaeol A, and 5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6-geranyl flavonol. These compounds showed potential biological activity with IC

Our effort to find new material for anti cancer from natural resources leads us to focus on stingless bee products such as honey, bee pollen, and propolis. The products were from seven stingless bees named Homotrigona fimbriata, Heterotrigona itama, Heterotrigona bakeri, Tetragonula sarawakensis, Tetragonula testaceitarsis, Tetragonula fuscobalteata, Tetragonula laeviceps. The stingless bee products were evaluated for their cytotoxicity effect on MCF-7, HeLa and Caco-2 cancer cell lines. This is the first time to be reported that the honey, ethanol extracts of bee pollen and propolis of H. fimbriata displayed more potent cytotoxicity than other stingless bee products. By chromatography and biological activity-guided fractionation, ethanol extract of propolis from H. fimbriata was fractionated and isolated its active compound named mangiferonic acid. Mangiferonic acid showed a cytotoxicity effect with IC50 values 96.76 µM in MCF-7, >110.04 µM in HeLa, and > 110.04 µM in Caco-2, respectively. These results exhibited the potential of ethanol extracts from propolis of H. fimbriata to be further developed for drug and experiments to verify the function are essential.

Two new compounds, 11S-methoxy-11,12-dihydro phytuberin (2) and 9S-methoxy-benzocyclononan-7-one (6), together with twenty-six known ones were isolated from Lycium schweinfurthii (Solanaceae). Thei...

Although considered an abundant source of agricultural by-products, avocado (Persea americana Mill.) seed, with several biological activities and bioactive components, might become a promising resource for phytopharmaceutical development. In this study, through bioassay-guided isolation of the main α-glucosidase inhibitors in avocado seed, we discovered the major α-glucosidase inhibitor to be avocado seed oligomeric proanthocyanidin complex (ASOPC). Thiolysis and UPLC-DAD-HRESIMS showed the presence of A- and B-type procyanidins, and B-type propelargonidin with (epi)afzelechin as extension unit. Mean degree of polymerization (mDP) of ASOPC was calculated as 7.3 ± 1. Furthermore, ASOPC appeared to be a strong, reversible, competitive inhibitor of α-glucosidase, with IC50 value of 0.1 µg/mL, which was significantly lower than Acarbose (IC50 = 75.6 µg/mL), indicated that ASOPC is a potential natural α-glucosidase inhibitor. These findings would contribute to the direction of utilizing avocado seed bioactive components with the possibility to be used as natural anti-diabetic agents.

N-[(3-(3-methyl-1-oxo-butyl)amino)propyl]-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enamide (7), named ‘Bassiamide A’, a new alkaloid, together with six known compounds including one lignan (1) and five lignan...

Natural products and traditional medicine products with known safety profiles are a promising source for the discovery of new drug leads. Natural products as sesame were reported to exhibit potential to protect from COVID-19 disease. In our study, the total methanolic extract of Sesamum indicum L. seeds (sesame) were led to isolation of seven known compounds, five lignan; sesamin 1, sesamolin 2, pinoresinol 3, hydroxymatairesinol 6, spicatolignan 7, together with two simple phenolic compounds; ferulic acid 4 and vanillic acid 5. All isolated compounds were evaluated in silico against three important SARS-CoV-2 protein targets; main protease (Mpro), papain-like protease (PLpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) which possessed crucial role in replication and proliferation of the virus inside the human cell. The results revealed that compound 6 has the high affinity against the three main proteins, specially towards the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro that exceeded the currently used SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor darunavir as well as, exhibiting a similar binding energy at SARS CoV-2 PLpro when compared with the co-crystallized ligand. This activity continued to include the RdRp as it displayed a comparable docking score with remdesivir. Inferiorly, compounds 1 and 2 showed also similar triple inhibitory effect against the three main proteins while compound 7 exhibited a dual inhibitory effect against SARS CoV-2 PLPro and RdRp. Further molecular dynamic simulation experiments were performed to validate these docking experiments and to calculate their binding free energies (ΔGs). Compounds 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 showed comparable binding stability inside the active site of each enzyme with ΔG values ranged from −4.9 to −8.8 kcal mol−1. All the compounds were investigated for their ADME and drug likeness properties, which showed acceptable ADME properties and obeying Lipinski's rule of five parameters. It can be concluded that the isolated compounds from sesame lignans could be an alternative source for the development of new natural leads against COVID-19.

New cycloartane-type triterpene 23 R/S-3β-hydroxycycloart-24-ene-23-methyl ether 1a,b (as an C-23 epimeric mixture), along with ten known compounds, including 1 steroid, 3 fatty acids and 6 triterp...

Conocarpus lancifolius Engl. (Combretaceae) has several potential health-promoting effects, such as antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects. Phytochemical study of the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaf extract of this plant led to the isolation and identification of eight compounds viz., gallic acid (1), dihydromyricetin (2), myricetin (3), daucosterol (4), syringetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucoside (6), gallocatechin (7), and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (8). Their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in vitro and in silico inhibitory activities were evaluated. Daucosterol (4) showed the highest activity (IC50 0.316 μM) which was further validated by the superimposed docking orientation with the co-crystallized inhibitor, donepezil.

The extract from Entada phaseoloides was employed as active ingredients of natural origin into cosmetic products, while the components analysis was barely reported. Using LC-DAD-MS/qTOF analysis, eleven compounds (1–11) were proposed or identified from acetone extract of E. phaseoloides leaves (AE). Among them, six phenolic compounds, protocatechuic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside (5), cirsimaritin (6), dihydrokaempferol (9), and apigenin (10), were isolated by various chromatographic techniques. Protocatechuic acid (2), epicatechin (4), and kaempferol (11) at a concentration 100 μM increased the HaCaT cells viability of the UVB-irradiated cell without any cytotoxicity effect and reduced the expression of COX-2 and iNOS inflammation gene. Moreover, compounds 2 and 4 could have potent effects on cell migration during wound closure. These results suggest that compounds 2, 4, and 11 from AE have anti-photoaging properties and could be employed in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products.

Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition where patches of skin become darker in color due to excess melanin production upon UV exposure leading to melasma, which are lentigines or post inflammatory hyperpigmentation that psychologically affecting a great number of people. The present study investigates the anti-melanogenic effect of Butyroside D and the underling mechanism. After the confirmation of the non-cytotoxic effect of Butyroside D on B16F10 cells, we proceeded with analyzing the impact of the treatment at low and high concentration (i.e., 0.2 μM and 2 μM) using gene profiling analysis and examined the differentiation in gene expression. Our results identify cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), Wnt/β-catenin and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways to be downregulated upon treatment with Butyroside D. These pathways were targeted to further validate the effect of Butyroside D on membrane receptors melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) and receptor tyrosine kinase (c-Kit), related microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and consequently tyrosinase (TYR), and tyrosine-related protein-1 (TYRP-1) that were all shown to be downregulated and, therefore, leading to the repression of melanin biosynthesis. Finally, the anti-melanogenic effect of Butyroside D was confirmed on human epidermal melanocytes (HEM) cells by inhibiting the activation of cAMP pathway generally mediated through α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and MC1R. Overall, this study suggests the potential applicability of this purified compound for the prevention of hyperpigmentation conditions.

Bassia indica (Wight) A.J. Scott, family Amaranthaceae, is a halophyte herb growing in extreme environments and hence deemed as a potential economic source of bioactive chemicals with functional properties. In our study, 25 compounds were obtained from B. indica. We aimed to assess the inhibitory effect of the methanol extract of B. indica and its isolated compounds on COX-2 and cytotoxicity activity against MCF-7, OVK-18, HepG2, and HCT116 tumor cells. Among the isolates, the triterpene oleanane saponin (23) displayed promising anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 = 3.05 ± 0.15 μg/mL. Additionally, N- trans-feruloyl tyramine (11) exhibited significant cytotoxicity to OVK-18 with IC50 = 1.74 ± 1.56 μg/mL, whereas 6,7-dihydroxy coumarin (7) exhibited potent inhibition against the MCF-7 cell line with IC50 = 1.47 ± 0.22 μg/mL. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 25 exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HCT116 cells with IC50 < 0.1 μg/mL, while compounds 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 exerted potent cytotoxicity against HepG2. Finally, B. indica is a potential source of candidate compounds for the development of anti-inflammatory and antitumor therapies.

Two new isoindolin-1-ones, named erinacerin (M–N) along with eleven known compounds have been isolated from the fruiting bodies of the medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus. The structures of compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic studies and comparison with the known related ones. The anticancer potential of the isolates were tested with an in vitro cytotoxic assay against six human cancer cell lines (SH-SY5Y, 1321N1, HCT-116, Caco-2, OVK18 and HeLa).

A new glucoside, 3-methoxy-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-methyl benzoate, has been isolated from Lycium schweinfurthii along with five known compounds through bioactivity guided fractionation of the total plant methanolic extract towards α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. All the isolated compounds were tested for their inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase enzyme. As a result, four of them showed a potent inhibitory activity and thus constitute a therapeutic approach to decrease postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.

This article describes the biological activities of heartwood extracts from Yakushima native cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and identifies their main active compounds. Black heartwood and red heartwo...

The phytochemical study of Agathophora alopecuroides (Chenopodiaceae) led to the isolation of previously undescribed glucosylceramide, flavonol triglycoside, and triterpene oleanane saponin, together with eight known compounds. Their structures were elucidated using NMR analysis and HR-MS as (2'R, 12E) N-[(2S, 3S, 4R)-1-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3,4-dihydroxy-octadec-2-yl]-2-hydroxytetracos-12-enamide, namely Agathophamide A; isorhamnetin-3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-galactopyranoside, namely Agathophoroside A; and 3-O-[4'-(β-D-xylopyranosyl)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-olean-12-en-3β-ol-28-oic acid, namely Solysaponin A. We evaluated the effect of extract and isolates on ceramide levels via the up-regulated expression of the enzyme for ceramide synthesis in HaCaT keratinocytes. Interestingly, the study results revealed that the methanol extract of A. alopecuroides, together with some isolated compounds significantly up-regulated the mRNA expression of ceramide synthase-3 by 1.2- to 4.3-fold compared with the control in HaCaT cells. These findings indicate that the halophyte A. alopecuroides is a promising source of candidate compounds that can contribute to ceramide synthesis via the up-regulated expression levels of ceramide synthase-3 in the ceramide synthesis pathway.

In recent years, the scientific interest and particularly the economic significance of halophytic plants has been highly demanding due to the medicinal and nutraceutical potential of its bioactive compounds. A xero-halophyte Bassia indica is deemed to be a very cheap source of natural entities without chemical or biological investigation. In this context, a new acylated flavonol tetraglycoside, kaempferol-3-O-β- d -glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-[β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-trans-feruloyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (14), together with rare occurring flavonol triglycoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-β- d -glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (15), were isolated from the aqueous methanol extract of the aerial parts of B. indica. The study also reported an optimal separation and characterization of a new seco-glycosidic oleanane saponin with 2′R,3′S stereocenters, identified as (2′R,3′S)-3-O-[2′-hydroxy-3′-(2"-O-glycolyl)-oxo-propionic acid-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-olean-12-en-3β-ol-28-oic acid (17), in addition to its derivative, 3-O-[2′-(2"-O-glycolyl)-glyoxylyl-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β- d -glucopyranosyl-olean-12-en-3β-ol-28-oic acid (16). The structures of all isolated compounds were elucidated based on 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-MS analysis, as well as comparing with similar derivatives published in the literature. Furthermore, thirteen known compounds were isolated and identified as β-sitosterol (1), vanillic acid (2), o-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), р-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (5), methyl caffeate (6), caffeic acid (7), quercetin (8), uracil (9), thymidine (10), tachioside (11), isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (13). The anticholinesterase activity of all isolated compounds was evaluated.

New cycloartane-type triterpene 23

The genus of Macaranga (Euphorbiacaceae) has 250 species of which 160 species are endemic in Kalimantan and New Guinea. They grow as pioneer trees and are used as traditional medicines in the Asian regions. This experiment concerns cytotoxicity in both cancer and normal cells of their methanol extracts from wood, bark and leaf parts. Some of them have not yet reported its cytotoxic activity in those cell lines. The 21 methanol extracts were prepared from seven Macaranga tree species (Macaranga bancana, Macaranga gigantea, Macaranga hullettii, Macaranga pruinosa, Macaranga tanarius, Macaranga trichocarpa and Macaranga triloba). The MTT assay was used to evaluate cytotoxic activity of extracts in cancer cell lines [human breast cancer (MCF-7), mouse melanoma (B16 melanoma), human colon cancer (HCT116), human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa)] and normal cell lines [human normal fibroblast (TIG-1) and normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF)]. The leaf extracts of M. pruinosa, M. tanarius, M. trichocarpa showed more cytotoxicity than wood and bark in all cancer cell lines. In addition, the 5-fluorouracil was used as a positive control. These findings indicated the extracts from leaves of M. pruinosa, M. tanarius and M. trichocarpa had more potential than wood and bark parts to be developed as anti-cancer agents.

Hydroxyproline (Hyp) is a collagen-specific amino acid formed by post-translational hydroxylation of Pro residues. Various Hyp-containing oligopeptides are transported into the blood at high concentrations after oral ingestion of collagen hydrolysate. Here we investigated the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of X-Hyp-Gly-type tripeptides. In an in vitro assay, ginger-degraded collagen hydrolysate enriched with X-Hyp-Gly-type tripeptides dose-dependently inhibited ACE and various synthetic X-Hyp-Gly-type tripeptides showed ACE-inhibitory activity. In particular, strong inhibition was observed for Leu-Hyp-Gly, Ile-Hyp-Gly, and Val-Hyp-Gly with IC50 values of 5.5, 9.4, and 12.8 μM, respectively. Surprisingly, substitution of Hyp with Pro dramatically decreased inhibitory activity of X-Hyp-Gly, indicating that Hyp is important for ACE inhibition. This finding was supported by molecular docking experiments using Leu-Hyp-Gly/Leu-Pro-Gly. We further demonstrated that prolyl hydroxylation significantly enhanced resistance to enzymatic degradation by incubation with mouse plasma. The strong ACE-inhibitory activity and high stability of X-Hyp-Gly-type tripeptides highlight their potential for hypertension control.

Ganoderma lingzhi is a traditional medicinal mushroom, and its extract contains many bioactive compounds. Triterpenoids and polysaccharides are the primary bioactive components that contribute to its medicinal properties. In this study, we quantified 18 triterpenoids, total triterpenoid content and total polysaccharide content in the ethanol and water extracts of G. lingzhi at different growth stages. Triterpenoids were quantified by liquid chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple-reaction-monitoring mode. Total triterpenoid and total polysaccharide content were determined by colorimetric analysis. The results indicated that the fruit bodies at an early growth stage had a higher content of ganoderic acid A, C2, I and LM2, as well as of ganoderenic acid C and D, than those at a later growth stage. In contrast, ganoderic acid K, TN and T-Q contents were higher in mature fruit bodies (maturation stage). The highest total triterpenoid and total polysaccharide contents were found in fruit bodies before maturity (stipe elongation stage or early stage of pileus formation). Our results provide information which will contribute to the establishment of an efficient cultivation system for G. lingzhi with a higher content of triterpenoids.

The consumption of mushroom Ganoderma lingzhi (G. lingzhi) is believed to help people fight influenza. However, few scientific studies, particularly in animals, has addressed that. Here, a hot-water extract of G. lingzhi was orally or intranasally administered to mice infected with influenza A virus, following by a 21-day post-infection observation. An in vitro neuraminidase (NA) assay, with four subtypes of NA, was used to assess inhibition. The total content of triterpenoids and carbohydrates in the extract were determined with colorimetric assays. Results showed that intranasal administration of the extract reduced the severe weight loss in infected mice by 55.1%. Oral administration of the extract did not significantly interfere the virus infection. In addition, the extract strongly inhibited NA from influenza virus H1N1 and H5N1. These findings suggest that short-term oral consumption of hot-water extract of G. lingzhi has limited anti-influenza function, which also inform further research for its activity observed.

The present study aims to reveal the antibacterial potential of the wild mushrooms of Nepal. Despite the recognition of the medicinal potential of the natural resources in this country, a systematic study on the bioactivities of the wild mushrooms is still lacking. Therefore, in an attempt to fill this gap, ethanol extracts of 90 Nepalese wild mushroom samples were tested for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes. Staphylococcus aureus was comparatively more susceptible with Inonotus clemensiae exhibiting the least minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 100 μg/mL. The major compound in I. clemensiae was identified to be hispidin using high resolution liquid chromatography–electron spray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and MBC values of hispidin were determined to be 25 and 100 µg/mL for S. aureus and P. acnes, respectively. These findings show that the Nepalese wild mushrooms have the potential to be a novel addition to the functional ingredients industry due to their strong antibacterial potential.

A series of new isoxazolyl, triazolyl and phenyl based 3-thiophen-2-yl-quinoline derivatives were synthesized adopting click chemistry approach. In addition, the synthesis of new useful synthon, (2-chloroquinolin-3-yl) (thiophen-2-yl) methanol, is reported. The obtained compounds were characterized by spectral data analysis and evaluated for their anticancer activity. All the derivatives were subjected to in vitro MTT cytotoxicity screening assay against a panel of four different human cancer cell lines, liver (HepG-2), colon (HCT-116), human cervical cancer (HeLa) and breast (MCF-7). Out of a library of 17 compounds, two compounds have been identified as potent and selective cytotoxic agents against HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines. SAR studies for such hybridized analogues were investigated and phenyl derivatives were proved to be more potent than isoxazole and triazole derivatives. Furthermore, the promising compounds were selected for in vitro inhibition of EGFR-TK and Topo II enzymes. Also, they were subjected to cell cycle arrest analysis and apoptosis assay on MCF-7 cells. Our recent finding highlights these thiophene-quinoline analogues as a promising class of compounds for further studies concerning new anticancer therapies.

A new glucoside, 3-methoxy-4

In recent years, entomophagy has attracted increased attention, as it was recommended as a potential source of food by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In Japan, Oxya yezoensisis one of the most widely eaten insect species, but studies of its functionality as a food are limited. In this study, we reported the optimal characterization of the total phenolic compounds in methanolic extract (OME) and different fractions of OME. Additionally, the antioxidant and antiallergic activities of the OME fractions were evaluated. The results showed that the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of OME has potential antioxidant activity, whereas the n-hexane-soluble fraction showed the strongest inhibition of β-hexosaminidase, which is one of the key factors in allergic reactions. It was concluded that phenolic compounds might contribute to the antioxidant activity while unsaturated fatty acids contribute to the antiallergy activity.

Further chemical investigation of the metabolites in the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lingzhi resulted in isolation of eight triterpenes; two of them are new triterpene acid ethyl esters. Their structures were established based on spectroscopic studies and comparison with the known related compounds. The anticancer potential of the isolates were tested with an in vitro cytotoxic assay against five human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa, HCT-116, Caco-2 and HepG2) and two normal human cell lines (TIG-1 and HF19). Results showed that the new compounds have a strong to moderate selective cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 while they showed moderate to weak activity against HeLa cell line. Potent cytotoxic activities of some of the known isolated compounds are reported for the first time.