Cytotoxic principles from Ventilago leiocarpa

Three new anthraquinones, islandicin 4-methyl ether (1), 1,2,6-trihydroxy-7 ,8-dimethoxy-3-methylan thraquinone (2), and 2-hydroxyemodin 1-methyl ether (3) as well as two known triterpenoids [taraxerol (4), lupeol(5)], six ant hraquinones [chrysophanol (6), islandicin (8), parietin (9), emodin (10), c atenarin (11), skyrin (15)], a 2,3-dihydroflavonol [(+)-aromadendrin (12)], two benzisochromanquinones [ventiloquinone K (13) and ventiloquinone I(14) ], and stigmasterol (7) were isolated from Ventilago leiocarpa. The cytotox icity of these compounds to various tumor cell lines was evaluated, and com pound 15 significantly suppressed growth of HeLa, Vero, K562, Raji, Wish, a nd Calu-1 tumor cell lines. With the exception of K562 cells, the prolifera tion of other tumor cell Lines was inhibited by compounds 3 and 10.