Research on the terpenoid components of Tianming Jing and their anti-tumor activity
There are approximately 21 species of the genus Carpesium in the Asteraceae family, most of which are distributed in Asia and Europe. Carpesium abrotanoides L., as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with perennial herbs, has been used for a long time in Southeast Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan to treat various diseases. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that Tianming Jing is sweet, cold, and non-toxic; Indications include vomiting blood, throat swelling, phlegm and saliva stagnation, wind toxin scrofula, sores and swelling, roundworms and pinworms. According to domestic and foreign reports, this plant is rich in characteristic components such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and phenols, and often has effective pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-tumor, and antiviral effects. Terpene compounds have rich structural types and diverse biological activities, such as sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, etc. They provide important material basis for the discovery of lead compounds and have important application value for new drug development.

To further study the chemical resources of Tianming Jing plant and continue to search for biologically active chemical components. This study explores the chemical composition and in vitro anti-tumor activity of its petroleum ether extract, which can provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of traditional Chinese medicinal materials in the field of anti-tumor activity.

China has a vast territory and abundant resources of Asteraceae plants, providing us with abundant material resources for in-depth research on Asteraceae plants. Due to their diverse chemical composition and high medicinal value, plants of the genus Tianming Jing have always been a research hotspot in natural products.

At present, there is relatively little research on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of the petroleum ether fraction of Tianming Jing by domestic and foreign scholars. To further clarify the chemical resources of this plant, we conducted a systematic study on its chemical composition and isolated 9 compounds (including 5 menthone monoterpenes, 3 lactone free sesquiterpenes, and 1 reduced sesquiterpene lactone) from this plant for the first time. Compounds 3-8 were isolated from this genus of plants for the first time. The anti-tumor activity of the above compounds was evaluated using the MTS method, and the results showed that both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes had certain cytotoxic activity. Among them, compounds 4 and 8 were found for the first time to have weak inhibitory effects on the proliferation of five human tumor cells: leukemia (HL60), lung cancer (A549), liver cancer (SMMC7721), breast cancer (MCF7) and colon cancer (SW480); Similarly, compound 9 also exhibited weak inhibitory effects, which is consistent with previous research results. In addition, compound 2 was found for the first time to have a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of MCF7 and SW480 cancer cells, with inhibition rates of 72% and 81%, respectively, at a concentration of 40 μ M; According to preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis, the hydroxyl group at position 9 of menthone type monoterpenes may be an active enhancer group. This paper reveals the active ingredients of Tianmingjing that inhibit breast cancer cells and colon cancer cells for the first time, laying a foundation for further drug development and utilization of Tianmingjing resources.