Alkaloids of Delphinium Species Distributed in Georgia and Their Cytotoxic Activity

The aim of the study was investigation the above and underground organs of Delphinium species distributed in Georgia: Delphinium speciosum Seed., Delphinium flexuosum Bieb., Delphinium freynii Conrath., Delphinium Shmalhausenii Abov., Delphinium elisabethaei N.Busch. for the content of alkaloids and to evaluate their cytotoxic activity. Of as a result  phytochemical studies was conducted, in the total purified alkaloids obtained from the above-mentioned Delphinium plant species by liquid-liquid extraction method  dominate diterpene alkaloids: methyllycaconitine and lycoctonin. Evaluation in vitro cytotoxic activity by Resazurin and Hoechst methods, in the case of the sum of alkaloids from above-ground organs of Delphinium Shmalhausenii Abov. revealed significant cytotoxic activity against A-549 (human lung carcinoma) and DLD-1 (rectal adenocarcinoma) cell culture lines with weak toxicity toward WS-1 (normal skin fibroblast) cells ; Alkaloids from underground organs of Delphinium Shmalhausenii Abov. and  Delphinium freynii Conrath. Exhibited a moderate cytotoxicity; Weak expressed cytotoxic activity against A-549 cell lines was detected in the case of Delphinium elisabethaei N.Busch. alkaloids.