Different species, hybrids and varieties of the genus Hippeastrum (Amaryllidaceae) are planted for ornamental purposes and at the same time they represent a rich source of interesting secondary metabolites called Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. These compounds display a wide spectrum of biological activities. In the current study, six Hippeastrum taxa were evaluated for their alkaloid profile by GC-MS. Using preparative TLC, five alkaloids were isolated in pure form, and three of them evaluated for cytotoxic and antiproliferative potencies on a panel of human cancer cells of different histotype (Jurkat, MOLT-4, A549, HT-29, PANC-1, A2780, HeLa, MCF-7 and SAOS-2). In parallel, normal MRC-5 human fibroblasts were employed to determine the compounds´ overall toxicity against non-cancer cells. The most intriguing cytotoxic profile was demonstrated by montanine (1) with IC50 values between 1.04 – 1.99 µM.
