Alkaloids from Rutaceae: activities of canthin-6-one alkaloids and synthetic analogues on glioblastoma stems cells

Interesting selectivities for cancer stem cells versus neuronal stem cells are demonstrated in vitro with analogues of canthin-6-one, an indolic alkaloid isolated from Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium (Rutaceae). The implication of the PI3/AKT signalling pathway is also disclosed.