41059-79-4

Soluble in methanol and chloroform-methanol mixed solvents, difficult to dissolve in ethyl acetate and chloroform. It comes from the dried rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. of the monocotyledonous plant Liliaceae.

Induces autophagy in HeLa cells followed by apoptotic cell death (IC50=10μM). This cellular response has been found to be mediated via inhibition of mTORC1 and induction of ER stress (IC50 for BT474 cells=2.5μM and MDAMB231 cells=6μM). The pro-apoptotic response is selective for tumor cells over normal cells but autophagy is induced in both.