Studies on the Cytotoxicity of Naphthoquinone Derivatives from the Fresh Rejuvenated Fruits of Juglans mandshurica

OBJECTIVE To study the cytotoxicity of naphthoquinone derivatives isolated from the fresh rejuvenated fruits of J. mandshurica. METHODS The cytotoxicity of 12 naphthoquinone derivatives were estimated by MTT assay against human liver SMMC 7721cancer cells and human breast MCF-7 cancer cells. RESULTS Among the 12 naphthoquinone derivatives, 4-hydroxynaphthalene-1-O-b-D-glucopyranoside (9), 1,4,8-trihydroxynaphthalene-1-O-b-D-glucopyra-noside (10) and 1,4,8- trihydroxynaphthalene-1-O-b-D-6’-O-(3’’,4’’,5’’-trihydroxybenzoyl) glucopyranoside (11) exhibited cytotoxiciy against human liver SMMC 7721 cancer cells whereas only 11 showed cytotoxicity against human breast MCF-7 cancer cells. CONCLUSION Naphthoquinone derivatives in this plant maybe play a significant role in its antitumor activities.