The compound responsible for the citotoxic effect was identified as longipilin acetate, a sesquiterpenelactone isolated from Espeletia killipi Cuatr. Citotoxicity was assessed by using normal cells obtained from peripheral blood, thyroid, testicle and mouth epithelium. Bone marrow cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, Hodking lymphoma (from Cancer National Institute, Bogotá Colombia) and the cell line K562 were also assayed. Citotoxicity was determined by the MTT cell viability test (3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl Tetrazolium Bromid]. The assays revealed that the substance is risk-free on normal cells but at 3 mg/mL has significant activity on tumor cells and K562 cell line. Consequently, taken into account this significant action, new research approaches can be foreseen.
Espeletia killipii; sesquiterpenelactone; cytotoxic activity
