Bio-guided search of active indole alkaloids from Tabernaemontana catharinensis: Antitumour activity, toxicity in silico and molecular modelling studies

Active plant metabolites have been used as prototype drugs. In this context, Tabernaemontana catharinensis (Apocynaceae) has been highlighted because of the presence of active indole alkaloids. Thus, this study aims the bio-guided search of T. catharinensis cytotoxic alkaloids. The chemical composition was identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry, and fractionation was performed by open column and preparative thin-layer chromatography, from plant stems. The enriched fractions were tested in vitro in tumour cells A375 (melanoma cell line) and A549 (adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells), and non-tumour Vero cells (African green monkey kidney epithelial cells). The alkaloids identified as active were submitted to in silico toxicity prediction by ADME-Tox and OSIRIS programs and, also, to molecular docking, using topoisomerase I (PDB ID: 1SC7) by iGEMDOCK. As a result, six sub-fractions were obtained, which were identified as containing 16-epi-affinine, 12-methoxy-n-methyl-voachalotine, affinisine, voachalotine, coronaridine hydroxyindoline and ibogamine, respectively. The affinisine-containing sub-fraction showed selective toxicity against A375, with an IC50 of 11.73 µg mL−1, and no cytotoxicity against normal cells (Vero). From the in silico toxicity test results, all indole alkaloid compounds had a low toxicity risk. The molecular docking data provided structural models and binding affinities of the plant’s indole alkaloids and topoisomerase I. In summary, this bio-guided search revealed that the indole alkaloids from T. catharinensis display selective cytotoxicity in A375 tumour cells and toxicity in silico. Particularly, affinisine might be a chemotherapeutic for A375 melanoma cells.