A new series of 19-nor-clerodane diterpene derivatives was synthesized from the natural trans-dehydrocrotonin obtained from stem barks of Croton cajucara (Euphorbiaceae), a native medicinal plant of the Brazilian Amazon. The new derivatives were obtained by changes in the ketone moiety of trans-dehydrocrotonin leading to nitrogenated derivatives which are: three substituted hydrazine diterpenes, oxime, and methyloxime. The cytotoxic effect of the diterpene derivatives was evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay against Ehrlich carcinoma and K562 human leukemia cells. The cytotoxic activity of the hydrazine and oxime semi-synthetic derivatives was better than the one of the natural product trans-dehydrocrotonin. Moreover, all diterpenes were tested for their DNA topoisomerase I inhibitory activity, and the most effective one, in general, was observed to the phenyl-hydrazone derivative. Results indicated that the topoisomerase I inhibitory effect is correlated with the cytotoxic activity.
Keywords:
Croton cajucara; diterpenes; trans-dehydrocrotonin; cytotoxic activity; DNA-topoisomerase I
