It was found that the ethanol extracts and fractions of Espeletia killipii (an endemic species of the páramo vegetation of the Cundiboyacense plateau) exhibited cytotoxic activity against several human tumor cell lines. Thus, the extracts and fractions exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against both the human tumor cell lines of breast cancer MCF-7, CSC-1170, CSC-1595, CSC-3322, CSC-3325 and the Hep-2 cell lines of laryns. The CH2Cl2 fraction and its sub-fractions were active against the breast lines at concentration of 50 µg/mL, with a viability percentage between 13 and 20%. The active principle, not identified yet, was obtained by successive bio-directed assays. It showed activity against the Colombian cell lines CSC-1170, CSC-1595, CSC-3322 and CSC-3325 at a half Cytotoxic Concentration (CC50) less than 1 µg/mL, against MDA MB-435 and NCI-H23 at CC50= 1 µg/mL against MCF-7 at CC50= 2 µg/mL, and against PC-3 and U-251 at CC50 greater than 16 µg/mL.
Espeletia killipii; Asteraceae; cytotoxic activity
