Chemical Composition and Cytotoxicity of Garcinia rubro-echinata, a Western Ghats Endemic Species

Abstract

Phytochemical analysis of the leaves of Garcinia rubro-echinata Kosterm., an endemic species to the Western Ghats, India yielded the triterpenoid friedelin (1), the flavonoids naringenin (2), apigenin (3) and (-)-epicatechin (7), the biflavonoids podocarpusflavone A (5) and amentoflavone (6), and the dihydrochalcone phloretin (4) and phloretin-4'-O-β-D-glycoside (8). The compounds 4 and 8 were isolated from the genus Garcinia for the first time. Validated HPTLC estimation showed 0.21% amentoflavone and 0.18% friedelin in the plant. Cytotoxicity of the leaf extract and the compounds 5 and 6 against human hepatocarcinoma (Hep G2) and rat cardiomyocyte (H9C2) cells, evaluated by MTT assay, showed potential cytotoxicity for compound 5. This is the first report of the phytochemical and bio-activity studies of G. rubro-echinata.