Incorporation assays of natural anthraquinones in cancerous cells.

FERNANDEZ I., COMINI L., NÚÑEZ MONTOYA S., RUMIE VITTAR B., CABRERA J., RIVAROLA V.

Palermo. Italia

Congreso; XVII CONGRESO ITALO-LATINOAMERICANO DE ETNOMEDICINA.; 2008

Soc. Italo-Latinoamericana de Etnomedicina (SILAE)

We have demonstrated previously that four anthraquinones (AQs): rubiadin, soranjidiol, rubiadin 1-methyl ether and soranjidiol 1-methyl ether, isolated from stems and leaves of Heterophyllaea pustulata, exhibit photosensitizing properties by generation of superoxide anion radical and/or singlet molecular oxygen under irradiation conditions. In addition, we have established that these compounds show photodynamic activity against the human breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7c3). Since photodynamic therapy is based on the combined action of a photosensitizer, molecular oxygen and light localized inside tumor cell, we studied the ability of these compounds to enter into cancerous cells, by using the cell line before mentioned.