Colchicinoids from the Seeds of Colchicum umbrosum

Abstract

A new colchicinoid from the seeds of Colchicum umbrosum (Colchicaceae) has been isolated and identified as 4-hydroxycolchicine (6) together with seven known colchicinoids as colchicine (1), N-deacetyl-Nformylcolchicine (2), colchifoline (3), colchicilline (4), 3-demethylcolchicine (5), demecolcine (7), and colchicoside (8).The medicinal importance of the genus Colchicum is attributed to the presence of tropolonic alkaloids, colchicinoids, mainly colchicine [1]. Colchicine has been found to possess antitumoral and anti-inflammatory properties and has still kept its importance in the treatment of gout and many other diseases, such as familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), Behcetcs syndrome, chirosis, and psoriasis [2]. Unfortunately, due to its low therapeutic index, this alkaloid cannot be used as an antineoplastic agent. It is also used in biological and breeding studies to produce polyploids and in the tubulin binding assay as a positive control because of its affinity for tubulin [3]. Demecolcine has lower toxicity than colchicine and has been succefully used in the treatment, especially, of myeloid leukemia and Hodgkincs syndrome [2].The genus Colchicum (Colchicaceae) is represented by 45 species in Turkey. Turkey is a major center for diversity and speciation for Colchicum species when the endemism rate (35%) is considered [4,5].In continuation of our investigations on Turkish Colchicum species for their alkaloid content [6-9], we now study alkaloids from the seeds of Colchicum umbrosum. This is the first detailed investigation of the seeds of Colchicum umbrosum for their colchicinoids. In a previous work, it has been reported that the corms of this plant contain colchicine, 3-demethylcolchicine, N-formyl-N-deacetylcolchicine, colchifoline, and colchicoside as colchicinoids [10].We now report the presence of a new colchicinoid, 4-hydroxycolchicine, isolated fort he first time from a natural source (6), together with the known colchicinoids colchicine (1), N-deacetyl-N-formylcolchicine (2), colchifoline (3), colchicilline (4), 3-demethylcolchicine (5), demecolcine (7), and colchicoside (8) in the seeds of Colchicum umbrosum.

Chemical Profiling and Biological Properties of Extracts from Different Parts of Colchicum Szovitsii Subsp. Szovitsii

“…Turkey is one of the richest regions for the number of Colchicum species. The genus is represented by 45 species in Turkey, which makes the country a major center for the Colchicum species, not only because of numbers, but also because of the high rates of endemism (35%) [14]. In the continuation of our investigations into plants with therapeutic properties, we have now studied the pharmacological properties of Colchicum szovitsii subsp.…”