Assessment of cytotoxic potential of newly isolated Betulinic triterpenes from the Bark of Bauhinia variegata Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae).

• Four compounds were isolated from the bark of B. variegata using different chromatographic procedures. • The structure elucidation of isolated compounds was carried out using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR and mass spectrometric data. • Compound 3 displayed cytotoxic activity against DU-145, PC-3, MCF-7, and HT-29 human cancer cell lines. • The study suggests that isolated compounds from B. variegata bark have cytotoxic potential and may be further used for detailed anticancer investigations. The present study focuses on the evaluation of the cytotoxic potential of isolated compounds from the bark of Bauhinia variegata L. (Caesalpiniaceae). Different chromatographic procedures led to the isolation of four compounds (1-4), with betulin type triterpene 1 (BVBH1) being reported as new compound along with three known compounds, 3- α -hydroxy-urs-12, 15-diene 2 (BVBH2), cholesta-5-en-3,7-diol amine 3 (BVBH3), N, N', N''- (cyclopropane-1,2,3-triylidene) trihexanamide 4 (BVBH4) from n -hexane extract of B. variegata bark. The structure elucidation of isolated compounds was carried out using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR and mass spectrometric data. Compound 3 displayed cytotoxic activity against DU-145, PC-3, MCF-7, and HT-29 human cancer cell lines, while compound 4 showed cytotoxic activity against HT-29 and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines, whereas compound 1 and compound 2 did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect against four tested cell lines. The current study suggested that isolated compounds from B. variegata bark have cytotoxic potential and may further be used for the detailed anticancer investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]