Estudo da atividade citotóxica de compostos obtidos do extrato acetônico das folhas de Annona muricata L. por fracionamento bioguiado

Abstract

Cancer is a complex disease of genetic origin, resulting from mutations in proto-oncogenes and / or tumor suppressor genes. It is considered one of the major causes of death in the world. Preliminary studies with the acetone extract and isolated compounds from the Annona muricata species demonstrated their antitumor potential. Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae), popularly known as soursop, has wide distribution, mainly in the tropical regions. In Brazil, the species is widely used as analgesic, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, anti-neuralgic, anti-parasitic and anti-rheumatic. This study reports the isolation of an acetogenin, called Annonacin, with a mono-tetrahydrofuran ring, the molecular formula: C35H64O7 and a mass of 596 u.m.a from the acetone extract of Annona muricata leaves through a bioguided chemical prospecting by cytotoxicity using the MTT assay. All the obtained fractions and the isolated acetogenin showed a cytotoxic potential in the tested tumor cell lines. The values of the mean inhibitory concentration of this acetogenin, had an order of nano-molar. The cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that the compound has anti-proliferative activity against all the tested tumor cell lines, with an IC50 ranging from 3.280 nM to 1.56 nM in HL-60 and HCT-116, respectively, after 72 hours of incubation, where the substance was most active against the following tumor cell lines: HCT-116, OVCAR-8, SF-295 and PC-3M. This acetogenin was not able to inhibit the proliferation of normal peripheral blood cells, although it showed a hemolytic effect on mice erythrocytes. The Annonacin, in a colorectal cancer cell line, showed a cytotoxic effect strongly related to the dose and incubation time, being able to change the number of viable and non-viable cells after 48 and 72 h of exposure. In both incubation times, this molecule was able to modify the HCT-116 cell morphology, where it had an increase on the cytoplasm and nucleus size, besides a fusiform appearance. This study showed that the acetone extract from the A. muricata leaves is a promising source for obtaining compounds belonging to the acetogenins class with significant cytotoxic activity on tumor cells of human origin.