Two Ecdysteroids Isolated from Micropropagated Lychnis flos-cuculi and the Biological Activity of Plant Material
Michał P. Maliński, Jaromir Budzianowski, Małgorzata Kikowska, Monika Derda, Marcelina M. Jaworska, Dariusz T. Młynarczyk, Marta Napierała, Ewa Florek, Barbara Thiem
Abstract
Genetically uniform plant material, derived from Lychnis flos-cuculi propagated in vitro, was used for the isolation of 20-hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B and subjected to an evaluation of the antifungal and antiamoebic activity. The activity of 80% aqueous methanolic extracts, their fractions, and isolated ecdysteroids were studied against pathogenic Acanthamoeba castellani. Additionally, a Microtox® acute toxicity assay was performed. It was found that an 80% methanolic fraction of root extract exerts the most potent amoebicidal activity at IC50 of 0.06 mg/mL at the 3rd day of treatment. Both ecdysteroids show comparable activity at IC50 of 0.07 mg/mL. The acute toxicity of 80% fractions at similar concentrations is significantly higher than that of 40% fractions. Crude extracts exhibited moderate antifungal activity, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) within the range of 1.25–2.5 mg/mL. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the first to show the biological activity of L. flos-cuculi in terms of the antifungal and antiamoebic activities and acute toxicity. It is also the first isolation of the main ecdysteroids from L. flos-cuculi micropropagated, ecdysteroid-rich plant material.