Longipilin acetate is the compound exhibiting cytotoxicity, isolated from endemic plant specie from Colombia, South America, Espeletia killipii Cuatr. Longipilin acetate is a sesquiterpenelactone having the ability to induce apoptosis in several breast cancer cell-lines like MCF-7 y CSC-1595 (obtained from National Cancer Institute, Bogotá Colombia), Morphological examination, nuclear DNA fragmentation, tunel and flow cytometry were used to evaluate apoptosis. Therefore longipilin acetate is a compound showing potential as an antitumor agent.
Espeletia killipii; Asteraceae; sesquiterpenlactone; apoptosis activity