Two New Pro-apoptotic Glucopyranosides from Tulbaghia Violacea
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Description
Tulbaghia violacea is a widely known anticancer herb used as traditional medicine in the Southern
African region. However, the identities of the chemical compounds responsible for the medicinal
properties are still at large. Isolation of the pro-apoptotic compounds from T. violacea was carried out
using apoptosis induction-guided fractionation. The chemical structures of the pro-apoptotic molecules
were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) and elemental analysis. Pro-apoptotic glucopyranosides Dfructofuranose-(26)-methyl--D-glucoyranoside
and -D-fructofuranosyl-(26)--D-glucopyranoside
were uncovered from aqueous whole plant extracts of T. violacea using bioactivity-guided purification.
Glucopyranosides D-fructofuranose-(26)-methyl--D-glucoyranoside and -D-fructofuranosyl-(26)-
-D-glucopyranoside have structural similarity with the earlier reported methyl -D-glucopyranoside
from the same herb, which selectively kills cancer cells through apoptosis mechanisms. The discovery
of these molecules could contribute towards the development of new anticancer drugs.
Keywords
Bioactivity-guided purification, Glucopyranoside, Pro-apoptotic, Tulbaghia violacea