Cytotoxic and larvicidal activities of Stemona alkaloids from the aerial parts and roots of Stemona curtisii Hook.f.

A new Stemona alkaloid glycoside derivative, 6-hydroxy-5,6-seco-stemocurtisinoside (4), was isolated from the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Stemona curtisii Hook.f., together with stemocurtisine (1), (11Z)-1',2'-didehydrostemofoline (2) and 6-hydroxy-5,6-seco-stemocurtisine (3). Whereas, stemocurtisine (1), stemocurtisinol (5) and oxyprotostemonine (6) were isolated from the roots. Their structures were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy as well as MS experiments. The extract and the pure isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities and their larvicidal activities against the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti. The alkaloid 2 showed the strongest larvicidal activity with a LC50 value of 2.44 mu M. While the alkaloid 3 exhibited cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and KB cells (IC50 values of 62.52 and 18.82 mu M, respectively) and showed no significant cytotoxicity against Vero cells. Additionally, quantitative analysis of the most active compounds; 2 and 3 in the crude extracts was also performed by HPLC.