Antineoplastic agents 540. The Indian Gynandropsis gynandra (Capparidaceae).

The CH3OH-CH2Cl2 extract of an Indian collection (entire plant) of Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq. was separated based on bioassay results employing cancer cell lines. Six cancer cell growth inhibitors were isolated and found to be known flavone apegenin (4) and flavonols 1-3, 5, and 6. The structure of flavonol 2 was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure determination. All of the five flavonols (1-3, 5, 6) inhibited the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line with ED50 values of 3.0, 9.2, 4.0, 0.37, and 3.9 microg/ml, respectively. All six of the flavonoids (1-6) also exhibited activity against a panel of six human cancer cell lines. Penduletin (3) inhibited growth of the Gram-negative pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae and apegenin (4) inhibited growth of the Gram-positive opportunist Enterococcus faecalis.