Investigação do Potencial Antitumoral de Ismene amancaes e de Alcaloides da Família Amaryllidaceae

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, posing a significant public health challenge. In 2020, more than 470,000 new cases of leukemia were reported globally, resulting in approximately 310,000 deaths. Although conventionaltreatments are essential, they frequently induce severe adverse effects, including nausea, malaise, and systemic toxicity. In this context, biodiversity, particularly the South American flora, constitutes an abundant source of bioactive molecules with potential for the development of safer therapeutic agents. This study investigated the in vitro anticancer activity of extracts from Ismene amancaes (Amaryllidaceae) and the isolated alkaloids haemanthidine and crinamine in the tumor cell lines KG1 (Acute Myeloid Leukemia AML), K562 (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia), and B16F10 (Melanoma). Fibroblasts (NIH/3T3) were used to assess selectivity. The bulb extract exhibited significant activity against the KG1 cell line (IC50 = 17.78 µg/mL) with a Selectivity Index (SI) of 6.69. Among the isolated alkaloids, crinamine showed the most potent and selective effect, presenting an IC50 of 3.48 µM and an SI greater than 287, substantially surpassing the standard chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (IC50 = 1.99 µM; SI = 2.35). Overall, the findings indicate that Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, particularly crinamine, are promising candidates for novel oncological therapeutic strategies, combining high potency with markedly reduced toxicity toward normal cells.