The cytotoxic activity of Alstonia spectabilis R.Br. constituents.

Introduction The chemical characterisation and cytotoxic potential of Alstonia spectabilis R.Br. (AC) were investigated using crude bark extracts. Methods Methanol: dimethyl sulfoxide with a ratio of 1:1 was used as the extracting solvent for the bark of AC. Chemical constituents and minerals present in the crude extract were studied using gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometer (GC-EI-MS) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDX). Results Based on the result obtained from EDX, the major mineral found in the crude extract was calcium (2.571%). Cell viability assay showed that the crude extract performed best against H69PR with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 6.95µg/mL, then followed by HT-29 (IC50=7.49µg/mL), MCF-7 (IC50=11.06µg/mL) and THP-1 (IC50=66.64µg/mL). Activities observed with the crude extract were correlated with the chemical constituents obtained from the GC-EI-MS data, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (6.01%), 2- methoxy-4-vinyl phenol (0.57%), Vanillin lactoside (1.53%), 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethyl ethyl)-phenol (0.77%), 4-((1E))-3-hydroxy-1-propenyl)-2-methoxy phenol (4.49%), n-hexadecanoic acid (4.18%). Octadecanoic acid (0.62%), [r-(E)]-1,Ethanol-2H-azecino94,3-b] indole-4-ethylidene-1,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-6-methylene (0.99%), (3β,5α,12β,19α,20R)-6,7-didehydro-2,20-cycloaspidospermidine-3-methanol (3.35%), Akummilian-17-oic acid, methyl ester (2.38%), Alstophyllan-19-one (11.00%), campesterol (1.55%), stigmasterol (1.83%), β-sitosterol (4.60%), Lupeol (3.39%), (3β)-24-methylene-9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol (3.18%). Conclusion The data generated from this work linked that AC constituents could be an effective chemotherapeutic agent. There are no previous reports similar to this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]