Anti-angiogenic Activity Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites from Calycolpus moritzianus Leaves

Angiogenesis is a crucial step in many pathological conditions like cancer, inflammation and metastasis formation; on these basis the search for antiangiogenic agents has widened. In order to identify new compounds able to interfere in the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 (VEGFR-1, also known as Flt-1) recognition by VEGFs family members, we screened Calycolpus moritzianus (O. Berg) Burret leaves extracts by a competitive ELISA-based assay. MeOH and CHCl(3) extracts and several their fractions demonstrated to be able to prevent VEGF or PIGF interaction with Flt-1, with an inhibition about 50% at concentration of 100 mu g/mL. Phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of the active fractions led to the isolation of flavonoids, and terpenes.