Cytotoxic apigenin derivatives from Chrysopogon aciculatis

Four new apigenin derivatives, 7-de-O-methylaciculatin (1), 8-C-β-d-boivinopyranosylapigenin (2), aciculatinone (3), and 4′-O-glucosylaciculatin (4), along with eight known compounds, apigenin-8-carbaldehyde (5), kaempferol, tricin, taxifolin, 6,7,4′- trihydroxyflavone, trans-oxyresveratrol, aciculatin, and luteolin-7-sulfate, were isolated from an ethanolic extract of Chrysopogon aciculatis. Their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Among the known compounds, the natural occurrence of apigenin-8-carbaldehyde and luteolin-7-sulfate is demonstrated for the first time. Some of the isolates were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines including MCF-7, H460, HT-29, and CEM.