Extraction Optimization of Cyclopamine from Veratrum Californicum (Corn Lily) and Bioactivity Testing

Idaho corn lily ( Veratrum californicum ) grows in mountain meadows and produces the steroidal alkaloid cyclopamine, a potent inhibitor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. The Hh pathway is a crucial regulator of many fundamental processes during vertebrate embryonic development. However, constitutive activation of the Hh pathway contributes to the progression of various cancers. In the present study, cyclopamine is extracted from the root and rhizome of V. californicum using eight commonly used extraction method and solvent combinations to determine which is most efficient in obtaining intact and biologically active cyclopamine. The bioactivity of the extracted cyclopamine from each method was then tested using Shh Light II cells obtained from Johns Hopkins University.