Abstract

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the methanol extract of Styrax camporum and S. ferrugineus fruits. Purification of both extracts, which displayed weak antioxidant and cytotoxic activities, resulted in isolation of seven compounds: homoegonol (1), egonol (2), demethoxy egonol-2-methylbutanoate (3), egonol gentiobioside (4), demethoxy egonol (5), demethoxy homoegonol (6), and egonol-2-methylbutanoate (7). XTT cell culture and DDPH assays helped to assess the activity of the pure compounds. Compared to gallic acid at 66.7 Bg/mL, the evaluated norneolignans were inactive in the DPPH assay. The cytotoxicity assay revealed that egonol acetate and 3 had CC50 of 267.90 and 19.10 Bg/mL at 24 h. Compound 3 was also assayed on cancer cells lines (HeLa, MO59J and MCF-7), but it did not reduce the viability of these cells with the same efficiency. Again, the results presented here confirmed that the egonol core is a promising structural feature for anticancer drug research.

Key words: Styrax camporum; Styrax ferrugineus, DPPH, cytotoxicity