CUCURBITACINS, CELL-ADHESION INHIBITORS FROM CONOBEA SCOPARIOIDES

In the course of screening natural products for antagonists of CD18-me diated cell adhesion, an extract with inhibitory activity was identifi ed from the stem and leaves of Conobea scoparioides. Bioassay-guided f ractionation led to a pure compound, identified by spectroscopy as cuc urbitacin E [1]. Although many biological activities have been reporte d for the cucurbitacins, this is the first report of cell adhesion inh ibition. Furthermore, closely related cucurbitacin analogues had diffe rent potencies, pointing to substructural features that are important for the activity.