Knowledge Bank

Cancer is a large, diverse group of diseases caused by abnormal cells that grow from benign to malignant tumors if left untreated1. Chemotherapy is a common method used to treat several cancers and includes drugs such as alkylating agents, antimetabolites, plant alkaloids, biological inhibitors, nitrosoureas, corticosteroids, and anti-tumor antibiotics2. Despite the variety of chemotherapeutic agents available for use, several of these agents are non-selective or unable to distinguish between tumor and non-tumor cells, which causes damage to normal cells of the body. Due to this damage, severe negative side effects often persist with the use of these agents, leaving the need for novel methods of treatment. Another factor that pushes the need for novel treatment methods is the large sector of the population that is entering the age of greatest risk of a cancer diagnosis3. In the past, natural products have played a vital role in the discovery of several drugs that changed the course of medicine4. Therefore, the unique and complex structures of plant natural product compounds promise success in developing chemotherapeutic anti-cancer treatments that have less severe side effects5. In this study, Aesculus glabra (A. glabra) seeds, pericarp, twigs, and leaves were investigated as a source for anti-tumor compounds due to previous findings in the literature6,7,8. The plant materials were locally sourced at The Ohio State University (OSU) Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens (CALG). Extracts from the A. glabra materials were prepared and compounds were isolated from these extracts by performing partition and isolation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography, column chromatography, and thin-layer chromatography. Then, cytotoxicity evaluation was performed on HT-29, HeLa, DU-145, PC-3, OVCAR3, and MDA-MB-435 using an SRB assay. Structure elucidation was carried out using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy experiments and mass spectrometry.