Falcarindiol, a Polyacetylenic Compound Isolated from Peucedanum japonicum, Inhibits Mammalian DNA Topoisomerase I

A methanol extract of the root of Peucedanum japonicum, used as a medicinal herb, showed an inhibitory effect on mammalian topoisomerase I activity. The methanol extract was suspended in ethyl acetate, and a topoisomerase I inhibitor in the organic soluble fraction was then isolated by silica gel and thin layer chromatography. The topoisomerase I inhibitory compound was indentified as falcarindiol based on the analysis of EI-MS, H and \ulcornerC NMR spectroscopy. This inhibitory showed cytotoxicity against human leukemia Jurkat T and HL60 cells with an IC\ulcorner value of 7 /ml. These results suggest the possibility of falcarindiol as a new anticancer agent which can be expected to have a synergistic effect on other anticancer drugs. In addition, the present data show that falcarindiol has antifungal, yet not antibacterial, activity