Cytotoxic principles and their derivatives of Formosan Solanum plants.

The new steroidal alkaloid capsimine-3-O-beta-D-glucoside [1] was isolated from the root bark of Solanum capsicastrum, and carpesterol [2], 3 beta-(p-hydroxy)-benzoyloxy-22 alpha-hydroxy-4 alpha-methyl-5 alpha-stigmast-7-en-6-one [3], and a new steroidal glycoside named indioside A [4] were isolated from the fruit of Solanum indicum. Indioside A was characterized as 3 beta-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2), beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4), beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-]alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(-->2)]-beta-D- glucopyranosyl]-diosgenin. Khasianine, dihydrosolasodine, capsimine, and capsimine-3-O-beta-D-glucoside exhibited strong activity against liver damage induced by CCl4. Capsimine and narigenin exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against human PLC/PRF/5 and KB cells in vitro, and capsicastrine and etioline exhibited significant cytotoxicity against human PLC/PRF/5 cells in vitro.