Abstract

MONROY-VAZQUEZ, M. Elena et al. Bio-guided study of an alcoholic extract of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz Fruits. Agrociencia [online]. 2009, vol.43, n.8, pp.777-790. ISSN 2521-9766.

Sechium edule (chayote) is a Neotropic species with wide biologic variation of form, color, and fruits flavor fruits, which has been utilized as source of food and medicine. In this research, fruits of 5. edule var. nigrum spinosum were used in order to assess antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity in two tumoral lines (L-929 and HeLa), besides for isolating and characterizing the components of most important activity starting from an alcoholic extract. The extract was fractionated by column chromatography; the bioassays were carried out using the extract and the main fractions assessing six concentrations (0, 0.047, 0.23, 0.47, 1.18, 2.37 mgmL^-1). Three out of four isolated fractions had antiproliferative and cytotoxic dose-dependent activity. The analysis by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography, coupled to mass spectrometry, revealed esters of: methyl of hexadecanoic acid, ethyl of hexadecanoic acid, methyl of 10-octadecenoic acid, methyl of octadecenoic acid, octyl of octadecenoic acid, and methyl of 9-oxononanoic methyl acid as the principal components of the most active fraction, thus extending the range of vegetal species with the possibility of blocking proliferation of carcinogenic cells.

Keywords : Cancer; chayote; fractions; fatty acids; Cucurbitaceae.