Chemical and Pharmacological Investigations of Metaxya rostrata Judith Virtbauera, Liselotte Krenna,*, Hanspeter Kähligb, Antje Hüfnerc, Oliver Donatha, and Brigitte Mariand a Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Fax: (+431) 427755259. E-mail:
[email protected] b Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria c Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria d Department of Medicine 1, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria * Author for correspondence and reprint requests Z. Naturforsch. 63c, 469Ð475 (2008); received February 11/March 12, 2008 In a bioassay-guided approach the chemical composition of rhizomes of Metaxya rostrata (Kunth C. Presl) was studied for the first time. Investigations of the cytotoxicity of extracts and fractions on SW480 colorectal carcinoma cells resulted in the isolation of two polyphe- nols Ð cinnamtannin B-1 and aesculitannin B. The structures of the compounds were eluci- dated by different NMR experiments. Additionally, sugars, common sterols, such as sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol, as well as chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were identified in Metaxya rostrata. Key words: Metaxya rostrata, Polyphenols, Cytotoxic Effects Introduction ity, the capacity to alter the cell cycle, and the in- duction of apoptosis in SW480 colorectal carci- Metaxya rostrata is a tree fern widespread in noma cells by extracts from the rhizome of lowland rain forests of Central America and the Metaxya rostrata seemed of interest. north-western parts of South America. Within the Metaxyaceae family only two species Ð Metaxya Materials and Methods rostrata (Kunth C. Presl) and Metaxya lanosa A.