tenuin E

Tenuin E is a naturally occurring phenanthrene dimer (diphenanthrene) isolated from the plant *Juncus tenuis* (slender rush). It was identified during a phytochemical investigation of the Juncaceae family aimed at discovering bioactive compounds with anticancer potential. Tenuin E exhibits significant antiproliferative activity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines, including both doxorubicin-sensitive (COLO 205) and doxorubicin-resistant (COLO 320) strains, with IC50 values in the micromolar range (7.60–17.32 μM). However, the compound lacks selectivity toward cancer cells, demonstrating similar toxicity against non-tumorigenic human fibroblast cell lines (CCD-19Lu). It is currently studied as a preclinical lead compound for its potential to address multidrug resistance in colorectal cancer therapy.