The chloroform extract of rhizomes of Boesenbergia pandurata demonstrated marked preferential cytotoxicity against human pancreatic PANC-1 cancer cells in nutrient-deprived medium. Bioactivity-directed investigation of this extract yielded four new secondary metabolites, geranyl-2,4-dihydroxy-6-phenethylbenzoate ( 1), 2',4'-dihydroxy-3'-(1''-geranyl)-6'-methoxychalcone ( 2), (1' R,2' S,6' R)-2-hydroxyisopanduratin A ( 3), and (2 R)-8-geranylpinostrobin ( 4), and twenty known compounds ( 5- 24). Among the known compounds, (2 S)-6-geranylpinostrobin ( 5), (+/-)-6-methoxypanduratin A ( 6), and (2 S)-7,8-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(4''-methyl-3''-pentenyl)-8-phenyl-2 H,6 H-benzo[1,2- b:5,4- b']dipyran-6-one ( 7) were isolated for the first time from a natural source. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using extensive spectroscopic techniques including CD measurements. All the isolated compounds showed varying degrees of in vitro preferential cytotoxicity against PANC-1 cells. Nicolaioidesin B ( 11) and panduratin A ( 17) were most potent, each showing a PC 100 at 2.5 microM.

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Background: The expression of breast milk allows a mother to be away intermittently from her infant while continuing to breastfeed. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between expression of breast milk and breastfeeding duration

Eight new diterpenoids, kaempulchraols A−H (1−8), along with five known analogues were isolated from the CHCl 3 soluble extract of rhizomes of Kaempferia pulchra of Myanmar. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using extensive spectroscopic techniques including X-ray diffraction analysis. All the isolates were tested for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of five human cancer cell lines (A549, human lung cancer; HeLa, human cervix cancer; PANC-1 and PSN-1, human pancreatic cancer, MDA-MB-231, human breast cancer) and TIG-3, normal human primary fibroblast cells. Kaempulchraol F (6) exhibited weak activity against human pancreatic PSN-1 cell line with an IC 50 value of 12.3 µM. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. 1 In anticancer drug discovery, natural products characterized from medicinal plants play an important role. Vincristine, irinotecan, etoposide, and paclitaxel are examples of plant-derived compounds that are being employed in cancer treatment. 2 According to GLOBOCAN 2012 report, the five most frequent cancers in Myanmar are lung, breast, cervix uteri, stomach, and liver. 1 Many of Myanmar medicinal plants have been used to prevent, alleviate, and cure human disease by the Myanmar people since time immemorial. In our ongoing research for the discovery of anticancer agents from Myanmar medicinal plants, 3−6 we screened the crude extracts against a panel of five human cancer cell lines (A549, human lung cancer; HeLa, human cervix cancer; PANC-1 and PSN-1, human pancreatic cancer, MDA-MB-231, human breast cancer) and TIG-3, normal human primary fibroblast cells. The CHCl 3 soluble fraction of rhizomes of Kaempferia pulchra exhibited reasonable antiproliferative activity against the tested cancer cell lines. Kaempferia pulchra Ridl., a perennial herb of the Zingiberaceae family is cultivated in some tropical countries including Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is commonly known as "Shan-pan-oot" in Myanmar, and has been extensively used for cough, blood stimulation, carminative, quenching heat, deodorant, urinary tract infection, diuretic, and mellitus diabetes. 7 It has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory 8 and antitumor activities. 9 The rhizomes have been used locally for the self-medication by cancer and AIDS patients in Myanmar. Previous studies reported the presence of sandaracopimaradiene diterpenoids and ethyl 4-methoxy-trans-cinnamate. 8, 10 Herein, the isolation, structural elucidation, and antiproliferative activity of the isolated compounds are reported. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The chloroform extract of K. pulchra exhibited reasonable antiproliferative activity against a panel of five human cancer cell lines (A549, human lung cancer; HeLa, human cervix cancer;