Discovery of the apoptosis-inducing activity and high accumulation of the butenolides, menisdaurilide and aquilegiolide in Dicentra spectabilis.

The occurrence of two butenolides, menisdaurilide and aquilegiolide, in commercial specimens of Dicentra spectabilis is reported for the first time; a rapid and direct isolation protocol is described. The ability of these lactones to induce apoptosis in human tumour cell lines at 10 microM concentration is also described. The high abundance and apoptosis-inducing activity reported here indicates that these constituents play a more significant role than the hormonal action previously attributed to them.