  Some species of the Baccharis genus have been shown to possess important
biomedical properties, including cytotoxic activity. In this study, we examined
the cytotoxic effect of methanol extract from Baccharis obtusifolia
(Asteraceae) in cancer cell lines of prostate (PC-3), colon (RKO), astrocytoma
(D-384), and breast (MCF-7). The methanolic extract displayed the largest
substantial cytotoxic effect in lines of colon cancer (RKO) and cerebral
astrocytoma (D-384). Chromatographic purification of the B. obtusifolia
methanolic extract led to the isolation and identification of
5,4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (1) and 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (2)
compounds of the flavonoid type.
