Compounds with antiproliferative activity on five human cancer cell lines from South Korean Carpesium triste.

In the search for antiproliferative compounds against human cancer cells (A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, XF498, HCT15), it was found that the chloroform extracts obtained from the whole plant of Carpesium rosulatum Miq. (Compositae) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity. Two sesquiterpene lactones, CT-1 (2alpha,5-epoxy-5,10-dihydroxy-6-angeloyloxy-9beta-isobutyloxy-germacran-8alpha, 12-olide), and CT-2 (2beta,5-epoxy-5,10-dihydroxy-6alpha,9beta-diangeloyloxy-germacran-8alpha,12-olide) were isolated from the whole plant. CT-2 showed the most potent cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 7.88 microM against SK-MEL-2.