Alkaloids from Lycoris caldwellii and their particular cytotoxicities against the astrocytoma and glioma cell lines

Phytochemical investigation of the ethanol extract of the bulbs of Lycoris caldwellii afforded four new alkaloids, (+)-N-methoxylcarbonyl-nandigerine (1), (+)-N-methoxycarbonyl-lindcarpine (2), (+)-10-O-methylhernovine N-oxide (3), and (+)-3-hydroxy-anhydrolycorine N-oxide (4). Structural elucidation of all the compounds were performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (H-1-H-1 COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. All the alkaloids were in vitro evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against eight tumor cell lines (BEN-MEN-1, CCF-STTG1, CHG-5, SHG-44, U251, BGC-823, HepG2, and SK-OV-3). Alkaloids 1 and 2 exhibited particular cytotoxic activities against astrocytoma and glioma cell lines with IC50 of 9.2-11.3 mu M and 10.4-12.2 mu M respectively.