Total synthesis of topsentolide B2

A stereoselective total synthesis of topsentolide B₂, a selective cytotoxic oxylipin against SK-OV-3 and SK-MEL-2 cancer cell lines has been achieved based on asymmetric dihydroxylation, Roush allylation, and ring closing metathesis (RCM) reactions. The synthesis is completed in 11 steps and 2.1% overall yield.     

In vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of vic‐dioxime ligand and its metal complexes

In this study, vic‐dioxime ligand, (1E,2E)‐2‐(hydroxyimino)‐N′‐[(1E)‐2‐oxo‐2‐phenylethylidene]ethanehydroximohydrazide (LH₂), and its Cu (II) and Ni (II) transition metal complexes were synthesized and characterized using analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of this vic‐dioxime ligand and its Cu (II) and Ni (II) complexes on Caco‐2 heterogeneous human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells were evaluated. The effect of the vic‐dioxime ligand and its Ni (II) and Cu (II) complexes in combination with Campto on the cells was also investigated. The cytotoxicity test was carried using the MTT assay, and the apoptotic effect was tested by DNA diffusion assay. Campto was used as a standard anti‐cancer drug, Caco‐2 cancer cells treated with dimethylsulfoxide acted as solvent control, and human peripheral lymphocytes were used as control. The ligand and its complexes exhibit concentration‐dependent cytotoxic and apoptotic behavior. The ligand induces the weakest cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on both Caco‐2 cancer cells and lymphocytes. The Ni (II) complex of ligand induces high cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on both Caco‐2 cancer cells and lymphocytes. The Cu (II) complex of ligand has high cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on Caco‐2, but weak cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on lymphocytes. The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of the ligand and its Ni (II) and Cu (II) complexes were found to be concentration dependent, i.e. the higher the concentration is the more cytotoxic it will be. The present findings suggest that Cu (II) complex has the potential to act as a promising anti‐cancer compound against Caco‐2 colon cancer cells.     

Anti-melanoma and UV-B protective effect of microbial pigment produced by marine Pseudomonas aeruginosa GS-33

Bioactivity of a microbial pigment, extracted from fermented broth of culture marine Pseudomonas aeruginosa was screened for anticancer activity against human skin melanoma cell line SK-MEL-2. Upon characterisation, the pigment was confirmed as Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA). The PCA was found effective against SK-MEL-2 cell line at low concentration (GI50 value <10 μg/mL). Reduced cell density and cell shrinkage with typical morphological changes such as rounding of cells with loss/breaking of cell membrane were seen in SK-MEL-2 cells treated with PCA and Adriamycin. The pigment exhibited UV-B protecting activity as calculated by in vitro spectrophotometric assay and potentiated sun protection factor of commercial sunscreen lotion. Moreover, the pigment was non-toxic up to concentration of 100 ppm as assessed erythrocyte haemolysis assay. These results suggest that microbial pigment PCA could be effective and promising in the treatment as well as prevention of melanoma skin cancers.     

Amelioration of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells by ZnO-TiO2-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites

The present study aims to study the cytotoxicity of ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites (ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin) on T lymphoblast cancer cells (MOLT-4). In a study, nanocomposites containing 2.5 to 15 µg/ml MTT were screened for their anticancer activity. Its anticancer properties were significantly higher than those of other nanocomposites with an IC₅₀ value of 10.34 µg/ml. We studied the mechanism of action for cytotoxic cell death by fluorescence microscopy using Acridine Orange/EtBr (AO/EtBr) and Rhodamine 123 staining procedures. Using DCFH-DA, ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites were analyzed to determine ROS production. The change in apoptotic protein expression for the 24 h following treatment with MOLT-4 cells for Caspase-3, 8, and 9. Nanocomposites containing ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin increased the number of early and late apoptotic cells in MOLT-4 cells. ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites also enhanced mitochondrial apoptosis through Caspase cascade signaling. MOLT-4 cells phosphorylated Caspase cascade in response to ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites. Compared to the control group, the cancer cells treated with ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites significantly arrest the proliferation and induces cleavage of pro-apoptotic proteins which leads to apoptotic cell death. Accordingly, ZnO-TiO₂-Chitosan-Amygdalin nanocomposites might be effective against T lymphoblast cancer.     

Et3N‐Prompted Efficient Synthesis of Anthracenyl Pyrazolines and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation against Cancer Cell Lines

A series of anthracenyl pyrazoline derivatives ( 3a – o ) were synthesized with an aim to evaluate their in vitro anticancer activities. Anthracenyl pyrazoline compounds were prepared by the reaction between various anthracenyl chalcones ( 1a – o ) and hydrazine hydrate ( 2 ). The reactions were carried out under reflux in the presence of triethylamine and ethanol for 24 h, and the obtained yields were from good to excellent (90–97%). The structure of each compound is well characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, elemental analyses, and mass spectroscopic technics, and the molecular structures of compounds 3d and 3e were solved by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic methods. The newly synthesized compounds ( 3a – o ) were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic studies against four human cancer cell lines MCF‐7 (breast cancer cell lines), SK‐N‐SH (neuroblastoma cancer cell lines), HeLa (cervical cancer cell lines), and HepG2 (liver cancer cell lines), and the screening results show strong cytotoxic effects for most of the synthesized compounds against the three cell lines except SK‐N‐SH cells. Notably, compounds 3a , 3j , 3l , 3m , 3n , and 3o showed a highly potential activity against HeLa cells (IC₅₀: 0.22, 0.3, 0.3, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.25 μM), while compounds 3i , 3k , 3l , and 3m showed a significant cytotoxic activity in HepG2 cells (IC₅₀: 0.22, 0.44, 0.40, and 0.22 μM), whereas compounds 3a , 3b , 3d , and 3e exhibit a promising cytotoxicity against MCF‐7 cells (IC₅₀: 0.73, 0.495, 0.493, and 0.66 μM).     

Brassinin inhibits proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in nasopharyngeal cancer C666-1 cells

BackgroundNasopharyngeal cancer is a tumor that occurs in the mucous epithelium of the nasopharynx. Due to its rapid growth and early metastatic nature, the successful treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer is highly challenging.ObjectiveHere, we intended to assess the in vitro anticancer property of brassinin against the nasopharyngeal cancer C666-1 cells.MethodologyThe in vitro free radical scavenging property of the brassinin was assessed by various free radical scavenging activities such as FRAP, DPPH, chemiluminescence (CL), and ORAC assays. The cytotoxic level of the brassinin (1–50 µM) against the nasopharyngeal cancer C666-1 cells and normal Vero cells were assessed by the MTT cytotoxicity assay. The levels of TBARS, GSH, and the SOD activity was assessed using kits. The level of ROS generation, MMP, and apoptosis were investigated by the respective fluorescent staining techniques. The flow cytometry analysis was done to scrutinize the cell cycle arrest. The Bax/Bcl-2 level and caspase activities were examined using respective kits.ResultsThe brassinin treatment effectively scavenged the free radicals, which are assessed by the FRAP, DPPH, chemiluminescence (CL), and ORAC assays. The proliferation of brassinin treated C666-1 cells were decreased remarkably, while the same concentration of brassinin did not disturbed the Vero cell viability. The 30 µM of brassinin effectively increased the ROS production, depleted the MMP, and stimulated the apoptosis in the C666-1 cells. The brassinin increased the TBARS and depleted the GSH and SOD in the C666-1 cells. The flow cytometry analysis revealed that the brassinin administration improved the G0/G1 ratio and decreased the proportion of cells with ‘S’ and ‘G2/M’ phase. The Bax, caspase-3 and ?9 were elevated and Bcl-2 level was decreased in the brassinin administered C666-1 cells.ConclusionOur findings discovered that the brassinin has the capacity to prevent the proliferation and stimulate the apoptotic cell death C666‐1 cells via blocking cell cycle and increasing oxidative stress and apoptotic markers. Hence, it can be a talented therapeutic agent to treat the nasopharyngeal cancer in the future.     

Synthesis,characterization, and cytotoxic activity studies of new N4O complexes derived from 2-({3-[2-morpholinoethylamino]-N3-([pyridine-2-yl]methyl) propylimino} methyl)phenol

A new unsymmetrical five-coordinate Schiff base ligand (HL) with an N₄O donor set ( 2 ) has been prepared by condensation of N1-(2-morpholinoethyl)-N1-([pyridine-2-yl]methyl)propane-1,3-diamine with 2-hydroxy-benzaldehyde. Metal complexes [ML]ⁿ⁺ (M = Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Ag⁺, Fe³⁺, and Co²⁺ ( 3–10 ) were synthesized by the reaction of the ligand and metal salts in ethanol. The resulting products were characterized by elemental analyses, infrared, ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (in the case of Cd and Zn complexes), UV–Vis, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric, and conductivity measurements. The structure of the complexes [ZnL](ClO₄) ( 3 ), [CdL](ClO₄) ( 4 ), and [CuL](ClO₄) ( 7 ) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The metal complexes were determined to have a distorted trigonal bipyramidal (Zn and Cd) or a distorted square pyramidal (Cu) geometry. The cytotoxic potential of each compound (1–10) against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells), PC-3 (prostate cancer cells), and WI-38 human normal lung fibroblast cells was evaluated using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. Compounds 1, 2, and 10 did not display any activity toward any cell line tested. None of the compounds except compound 8 was cytotoxic toward PC-3. Compounds 4 and 8 showed the highest cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Because compounds 3, 6, and 9 have similar half-maximal inhibitory concentration values against cancer cells and normal cells, these compounds displayed poor selectivity between cancer and normal cells. More importantly, it was observed that compound 5 acts differently toward different types of cell lines. For example, it displays lower cytotoxicity against the WI-38 normal cell line than it does against the MDA-MB-231 cell line.     

Suppression of Pulmonary Tumor Promotion and Induction of Apoptosis by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocus sativus</Emphasis> L. Extraction

Crocus sativus L., commonly known as saffron, is the raw material for one of the most expensive spice in the world, and it has been used in folk medicine for centuries. We investigated the potential of the ethanolic extract of saffron to induce cytotoxic and apoptosis effects in carcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549), a commonly used cell culture system for in vitro studies on lung cancer. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium with 10% fetal bovine serum treated with different concentrations of the ethanolic extract of saffron for two consecutive days. Cell viability was quantitated by the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Apoptotic cells were determined using annexin V–fluorescein isothiocyanate by flow cytometry. Saffron could decrease the cell viability in the malignant cells as a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ values against the A549 cell lines were determined as 1,200 and 650 μg/ml after 24 and 48 h, respectively. Saffron-induced apoptosis of the A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as determined by flow cytometry histogram of treated cells that induced apoptotic cell death, is involved in the toxicity of saffron. It might be concluded that saffron could cause cell death in the A549 cells, in which apoptosis plays an important role. Saffron could also be considered as a promising chemotherapeutic agent in lung cancer treatment in future.     

A novel bidentate ligand containing oxime,hydrazone and indole moieties and its BF2+ bridged transition metal complexes and their efficiency against prostate and breast cancer cells

In this study, a novel bidentate ligand containing oxime, hydrazone, and indole moieties and its BF₂⁺-bridged transition metal complexes [Ni(II), Cu(II), and Co(II)] were synthesized and their cytotoxic activities against prostate and breast cancer cells were investigated. The vic-dioxime ligand bearing indole–hydrazone side groups was synthesized by reacting antiglyoximehydrazine (GH₂) with 3-methoxy indole. The ligand forms mononuclear complexes with a metal-to-ligand ratio of 1:2 with M = Co(II)(H₂O)₂, Ni(II), and Cu(II). These metal complexes were then reacted with BF₃(C₂H₅)₂O to obtain BF₂⁺-bridged transition metal complexes. The Co(II) complex of the ligand is proposed to be octahedral with water molecules as axial ligands, whereas the Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes are proposed to be square planar. Spectral studies showed that the ligand bonded to the metal ion in a neutral bidentate fashion through the azomethine nitrogen atom and the imine oxime group. Structural assignments are supported by a combination of ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR, Fourier-transform infrared, LC/MS, elemental analyses, and magnetic susceptibility testing. For determining the cytotoxic effects of the novel anticancer products, cancer cells were cultured. The antiproliferative effects were determined using the MCF-7 breast cancer and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative effects of the products were analyzed and their apoptotic or necrotic effects were determined with the Hoechst/propidium iodide double staining method in both cancer cell lines. Paclitaxel was used as the positive control (1 μm ). The results indicated that the newly synthesized compounds are effective on both cell lines between concentrations of 5 and 40 μm and show their effects by apoptotic mechanisms. Besides, these products were found to be more effective on the MCF-7 cell line. The cytotoxic efficiency of the newly synthesized products was more than that of paclitaxel (depending on concentration), which is a chemotherapeutic agent used in cancer therapy.     

A study of the antitumor activity of four dibutyltin(IV)-N-arylidene-α-amino acid complexes

This paper reports the activity of four dibutyltin(IV)–N-arylidene-α-amino acid complexes against the National Cancer Institute (NCI) panel of 60 cell lines. The results indicated that three of the organotin complexes (C₁₇H₂₅NO₃Sn, C₁₈H₂₇NO₃Sn and C₂₀H₃₁NO₃Sn) exhibit their highest cytotoxic effect on the NCI-522 (non-small cell lung cancer) cell line. The fourth complex, C₂₁H₂₇NO₃Sn, exhibits its highest cytotoxic activity on the cell line RXF-631L (renal cancer). In general, a low to moderate cellular response was observed for all the organotin complexes, with at least one cell line in each subpanel of cells exhibiting a very low growth inhibition response to all the organotin complexes. The low-responding cell lines included HOP-62 (non-small lung cancer), DLD-1 (colon cancer), SF-539 (CNS cancer), SK-MEL-5 (melanoma), IGROV-1 (ovarian cancer) and RPMI-8226 (leukemia). The results also indicated that the compounds did not exhibit any significant subpanel activity and suggested that the compounds were not active in all the cell lines contained in any subpanel. The low to moderate activity of these compounds across the cell lines was attributed to the presence of nitrogen-bearing ligands which prevented the dissociation of the compound and the subsequent binding to DNA. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cytotoxic Diterpenes from the Root Tuber of Curcuma wenyujin

Bioassay‐guided fractionation of ethanolic extract from the root tuber of Curcuma wenyujin afforded three new diterpenes, curcumrinols A–C ( 1 – 3 ), where 2 is the (14S)‐epimer of 1 . The structures of 1 – 3 were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, mainly NMR and MS. 1 – 3 were tested in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against the HL‐60 and K562 cancer cells. Among the compounds tested, 1 exhibited medium cytotoxicity against K‐562 and HL60 human cancer cells with IC₅₀ values of 11.2 and 3.2 μg/ml, respectively. However, 2 showed only weak activity against the above cancers cells, which suggested that C(14) may be an important position for cytotoxic activity.     

Efficient Simmons–Smith cyclopropanation with Zn/Cu and CH2I2

An appropriate solvent to perform the original Simmons–Smith reaction was reinvestigated. Among available solvents, cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), a recently commercialized ethereal solvent, was found to be the best so far. Compared with Et₂O under reflux – the commonest conditions – reaction completion in CPME at 50 °C was about 10 times faster. The product yields and selectivities were mostly identical to those with Et₂O, but were better in some cases; e.g. 13–56% with 2‐cyclohexenol. The good performance of CPME should be mainly due to its moderate polarity and high boiling point. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monanchoxymycalin C with anticancer properties,new analogue of crambescidin 800 from the marine sponge Monanchora pulchra

A new pentacyclic guanidine alkaloid, monanchoxymycalin C (1) was isolated from a new collection of marine sponge Monanchora pulchra along with the known monanchoxymycalin A (2). The structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Monanchoxymycalin C exhibits cytotoxic activity against human cancer HeLa cells at low micromolar concentrations, induces apoptosis-related death of malignant cells and inhibits cancer cell colony formation. In addition, synergistic and additive effects have been observed in combination with cisplatin.     

In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of six international basil cultivars

The total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents in leaves extracts of Ocimum basilicum (OB) (Lamiaceae) international cultivars, as well as their overall antioxidant activities using DPPH and linoleic acid assays, were investigated. Furthermore, the antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities against line HeLa, MCF-7, Jurkat, HT-29, T24, MIAPaCa-2 cancer cells and one normal human cell line HEK-293 were examined. DPPH and linoleic acid assays ranged from 75.8% to 93.3% and from 74.5% to 97.1%; respectively. O. b. ‘purple ruffle’, O. b. ‘dark opale’, O. b. ‘genovese’, O. b. ‘anise’, O. b. ‘bush green’ and O. b. L. (OBL) varied in their antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities, influenced cell cycle progression and stimulated apoptosis in most cancer cells. OBL exhibited the highest antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. OB extracts not only improve taste but also have certain anticancer activity against diverse cancer cells due to the presence of compounds such as rosmarinic acid, chicoric acid and caftaric acid. Thus, OB represents a potent source of anticancer materials.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antitumor activity of novel tumor-targeted platinum(IV) complexes

Four tumor-targeted platinum(IV) complexes with ammonia and cyclohexylamine as the carrier groups and biotin as the axial group were designed, synthesized, and characterized. In vitro evaluation of the antitumor activity of complexes C1–C4 against lung cancer cells (A549), liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and colon cancer cells (SW480) was carried out. Complex C3 had the best cellular activity. Compared with cisplatin, complex C3 showed good anticancer activity against A549 cell line,complex C3 (6.34±0.44) is 3 times more cytotoxic than cisplatin (19.40±0.71),and against MCF-7 cell line complex C3 (4.22±0.11) is 5.4 times more cytotoxic than cisplatin (22.96±0.58), and against SW480 cell line complex C3 (6.65±0.60) is 3.4 times more cytotoxic than cisplatin (23.15±0.22). (Table 1) Axial chloride increased the redox power of complex C3 to increase the intercellular accumulation and the introduction of mixed amine had the ability to overcome cisplatin resistance. Complex C3 works best on MCF-7, then SW480, A549, and SMMC-7721. Thus, complex C3 is targeted by the axial introduction of biotin.     

<em>Mesua beccariana </em>(Clusiaceae), A Source of Potential Anti-cancer Lead Compounds in Drug Discovery

An investigation on biologically active secondary metabolites from the stem bark of Mesua beccariana was carried out. A new cyclodione, mesuadione (1), along with several known constituents which are beccamarin (2), 2,5-dihydroxy-1,3,4-trimethoxy anthraquinone (3), 4-methoxy-1,3,5-trihydroxyanthraquinone (4), betulinic acid (5) and stigmasterol (6) were obtained from this ongoing research. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D-NMR, GC-MS, IR and UV techniques. Preliminary tests of the in vitro cytotoxic activities of all the isolated metabolites against a panel of human cancer cell lines Raji (lymphoma), SNU-1 (gastric carcinoma), K562 (erythroleukemia cells), LS-174T (colorectal adenocarcinoma), HeLa (cervical cells), SK-MEL-28 (malignant melanoma cells), NCI-H23 (lung adenocarcinoma), IMR-32 (neuroblastoma) and Hep-G2 (hepatocellular liver carcinoma) were carried out using an MTT assay. Mesuadione (1), beccamarin (2), betulinic acid (5) and stigmasterol (6) displayed strong inhibition of Raji cell proliferation, while the proliferation rate of SK-MEL-28 and HeLa were strongly inhibited by stigmasterol (6) and beccamarin (2), indicating these secondary metabolites could be anti-cancer lead compounds in drug discovery.     

Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa Actinoporin Demonstrates In Vitro Anticancer Activities and Prevents HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cell Migration

Actinoporins are the most abundant group of sea anemone cytolytic toxins. Their membranolytic activity is of high interest for the development of novel anticancer drugs. However, to date the activity of actinoporins in malignant cells has been poorly studied. Here, we report on recombinant analog of Hct-S3 (rHct-S3), belonging to the combinatory library of Heteractis crispa actinoporins. rHct-S3 exhibited cytotoxic activity against breast MDA-MB-231 (IC₅₀ = 7.3 µM), colorectal HT-29 (IC₅₀ = 6.8 µM), and melanoma SK-MEL-28 (IC₅₀ = 8.3 µM) cancer cells. The actinoporin effectively prevented epidermal growth factor -induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 Cl41 cells by 34% ± 0.2 and decreased colony formation of HT-29 cells by 47% ± 0.9, MDA-MB-231 cells by 37% ± 1.2, and SK-MEL-28 cells by 34% ± 3.6. Moreover, rHct-S3 decreased proliferation and suppressed migration of colorectal carcinoma cells by 31% ± 5.0 and 99% ± 6.4, respectively. The potent anti-migratory activity was proposed to mediate by decreased matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 expression. In addition, rHct-S3 induced programmed cell death by cleavage of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, as well as regulation of Bax and Bcl-2. Our results indicate rHct-S3 to be a promising anticancer drug with a high anti-migratory potential.     

A new cytotoxic diterpenoid glycoside from the leaves of Blumea lacera and its effects on apoptosis and cell cycle

A new diterpenoid glycoside, 6E,10E,14Z-(3S)-17-hydroxygeranyllinalool-17-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1?→?2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?→?6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) together with the known diterpenoid glycoside (2) and two known flavonoid glycosides (3, 4) were isolated from the methanol extract of Blumea lacera leaves. The structures were determined by the interpretation of their spectroscopic data and comparison with the literature. All compounds were isolated for the first time from B. lacera and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity. Only the new compound (1) showed strong cytotoxic activity with the lowest IC₅₀ value (8.3 μM) being displayed against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In apoptosis and cell cycle analysis, 1 revealed strong apoptotic activity against MCF-7 cells (45.5% AV⁺/PI^?) after 24 h, but showed no arresting of any of the cell cycle phases in MCF-7.     

Cytotoxicity of syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol isolated from Foeniculum vulgare on selected human cell lines

This study was carried out to determine the cytotoxic effect of seven plant extracts and the isolated compounds – syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol – on cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare was found to exhibit the most significant toxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 19.97 μg/mL on HeLa cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two compounds, syringin (1) and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol (2). Both compounds showed toxicity against MCF-7, HeLa and DU145 cancer cell line. The results showed that compound 2 showed high toxicity against all the cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 14.24, 7.82 and 22.10 μg/mL, respectively. 4-Methoxycinnamyl alcohol also showed no apoptotic effect in cell cycle analysis after 48 h at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. However, DNA fragmentation study revealed that necrosis took place at a concentration of 10 μg/mL after 48 h exposure.