PREFERENTIAL CYTOTOXICITY TO TUMOR-CELLS OF 3,5-DIPRENYL-4-HYDROXYCINNAMIC ACID (ARTEPILLIN-C) ISOLATED FROM PROPOLIS

A tumoricidal substance was isolated from Brazilian propolis as guided by cytotoxicity assay on HuH 13 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cell and was characterized to be 3-[4-hydroxy-3,5-bis (3-methyl-2-butenyl) phenyl]-2-propenoic acid (3,5-diprenyl-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (artepi llin C)). it exhibited preferential cytotoxicity to tumor cells cultur ed in vitro. The cytotoxicity observed seemed to be partly attributabl e to apoptosis-like DNA fragmentation. The compound showed antitumor a ctivity more effective than that of 5-fluorouracil to transplantable h uman tumor cell lines when tested on histoculture drug response assay system.