Michellamine B is a potential anti-HIV agent isolated from the leaves of a Cameroonian vine, Ancistrocladus korupensis, which grows in the Korup region of Cameroon. Preclinical testing of Michellamine B by the National Cancer Institute may be adversely impacted by raw materials availability, and the inefficiencies of conventional, large-scale manufacturing processes. The latter is time, labor and material-intensive, utilizes large quantities of organic solvent which can become an environmental quagmire, and requires extracting and expensive HPLC techniques. Multiple processing steps are required resulting in low yields and high costs. Processing time, organic solvent usage and manufacturing costs may be significantly reduced by the use of supercritical fluid solvents.
The specific aim of the proposed R&D program is to determine if Michellamine B can be isolated and purified from Ancistrocladus korupensis tissue by the use of supercritical fluid extraction and chromatographic purification techniques. This investigation should lead to the development of an improved manufacturing process for cost-effectively producing large quantities of Michellamine B needed for preclinical development and clinical trials.
