Triterpenoids from stem bark of Dysoxylum excelsum and their cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells

The diversity of structures of triterpenoids provides a variety of interesting pharmacological effects, one of them being anticancer. Sources of triterpenoids are found in Dysoxylum excelsum, it is still rarely studied, and it potentially contains triterpenoids with cytotoxic activity. Therefore, the research aimed to isolate the triterpenoids from the stem bark of D. excelsum and determine their cytotoxic efficacy against the breast cancer cells of MCF-7. The dried stem bark of D. excelsum was macerated using methanol and then fractionated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate to obtain the corresponding fractions. Two triterpenoids, 3α,7α-dihydroxyapotirucalla-14,24-Z-dien-26-oic acid (1) and masticadienonic acid or 3-oxo-tirucalla-7,24-Z-dien-26-oic acid (2) were isolated in the first place from the Dysoxylum genus. Compounds 1 and 2 were assayed for their cytotoxic potency anti- MCF-7 using the MTT assay and gave moderate IC50 values of 60.87 and 72.86 µM, respectively. Based on their analogs, partial structure modification of the compounds might increase the activity; thus, it can be further utilized as better lead compounds for anticancer drugs candidate.