Rubiflavin G, photorubiflavin G, and photorubiflavin E: Novel pluramycin derivatives from Streptomyces sp. W2061 and their anticancer activity against breast cancer cells

The pluramycin family of antibiotics comprises angucycline compounds derived from actinomycetes that possess anticancer and antibacterial properties. Pluramycins are structurally characterized by two aminoglycosides linked by a carbon-carbon bond next to the γ-pyrone angucycline backbone. Kidamycins ( 3 , 4 ) and rubiflavins ( 6 – 9 ) were screened through liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the crude extracts of Streptomyces sp. W2061, which was cultured in complex media under phosphate-limiting conditions. Newly isolated rubiflavin G ( 7 ) and photoactivated compounds ( 8 , 9 ) were characterized using exhaustive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The cytotoxicity of kidamycin ( 3 ), photokidamycin ( 4 ), and photorubiflavin G ( 8 ) was determined using two human breast cancer cell lines–MCF7 and MDA-MB-231. Compared to MCF7 cells, MDA-MB-231 cells were more sensitive to the active compounds, and photokidamycin ( 4 ) considerably inhibited MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cell growth (IC 50 = 3.51 and 0.66 μM, respectively).