Isolation from Eucalyptus occidentalis and identification of a new kaempferol derivative that induces apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells.

In this paper we report the isolation and structural elucidation of a new flavonoid (1) and three known compounds, 6,8-di-C-methylkaempferol 3-methyl ether (2), oleanolic acid, and 2 alpha,3 beta-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, from aerial parts of Eucalyptus occidentalis collected in Algeria. Flavonoids 1 and 2 were used to study their biological activities on the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60. Our data show that these compounds induce morphological changes and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptotic cell death, which is mediated by caspase-8/caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release.