Anti-tumor promoting activity of polyphenols from Cowania mexicana and Coleogyne ramosissima

Chemical investigation on polyphenol-rich fractions of Cowania mexicana and Coleogyne ramosissima (Rosaceae) which showed significant inhibitory effects on Epstein–Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), has led to the characterization of 10 compounds including C-glucosidic ellagitannin monomers and dimers from the former plant, and 17 polyphenols including flavonoid glycosides from the latter. The effects of individual components and their analogues with related structures on the TPA-induced EBV-EA activation were then evaluated. Among the compounds isolated from C. mexicana, two C-glucosidic ellagitannins, alienanin B and stenophyllanin A and a nitrile glucoside (lithospermoside), and among the constituents from C. ramosissima, two flavonoid glycosides, isorhamnetin 3-O-β-d-glucoside and narcissin were revealed to possess strong inhibitory effects on EVB-EA activation, the potencies of which were either comparable to or stronger than that of a green tea polyphenol, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate. These polyphenols except for nitrile glucoside, which was not tested owing to an insufficient amount, were also found to exhibit anti-tumor promoting activity in two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and TPA.