Composition of the leaf, stem bark and root bark oils of Isolona cooperi investigated by GC (retention index), GC-MS and 13C-NMR spectroscopy

Undescribed phloroglucinol derivatives with antiviral activities from Dryopteris atrata (Wall. Ex Kunze) Ching

Nine undescribed phloroglucinol derivatives (dryatraols A-I) with five different backbones and three known dimeric acylphloroglucinols were isolated from the rhizome of Dryopteris atrata (Wall. Ex Kunze) Ching (Dryopteridaceae). Dryatraol A contains an unprecedented carbon skeleton-a butyrylphloroglucinol and a rulepidanol-type sesquiterpene are linked via a furan ring to form a 6/5/6/6 ring system. Dryatraols B and C are the first examples of monomeric phloroglucinols coupled with the aristolane-type sesquiterpene through the C-C bond. Dryatraol D features a rare spiro [benzofuran-2',5″-furan] backbone. Dryatraols E-I are five undescribed adducts with a butyrylphloroglucinol or filicinic acid incorporated into the germacrene-type sesquiterpene via a pyran ring. These undescribed structures were determined by comprehensively analysing the spectroscopic data, X-ray diffraction results, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. The result of in vitro antiviral activity evaluation indicated that dryatraol C displayed the strongest antiviral effect against both respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A virus (H1N1), with IC₅₀ values of 11.9 μM and 5.5 μM, respectively. Dryatraols F-H exhibited considerable inhibitory activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.6 to 6.3 μM. Analysis of the inhibitory mechanism using a time-of-addition assay revealed that dryatraol G may inhibit the replication of HSV-1 by interfering with the late stage of the viral life cycle.

Bacterial Volatiles Known to Inhibit Phytophthora infestans Are Emitted on Potato Leaves by Pseudomonas Strains

Bacterial volatiles play important roles in mediating beneficial interactions between plants and their associated microbiota. Despite their relevance, bacterial volatiles are mostly studied under laboratory conditions, although these strongly differ from the natural environment bacteria encounter when colonizing plant roots or shoots. In this work, we ask the question whether plant-associated bacteria also emit bioactive volatiles when growing on plant leaves rather than on artificial media. Using four potato-associated Pseudomonas, we demonstrate that potato leaves offer sufficient nutrients for the four strains to grow and emit volatiles, among which 1-undecene and Sulfur compounds have previously demonstrated the ability to inhibit the development of the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of potato late blight. Our results bring the proof of concept that bacterial volatiles with known plant health-promoting properties can be emitted on the surface of leaves and warrant further studies to test the bacterial emission of bioactive volatiles in greenhouse and field-grown plants.

Chemical Variability and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Leaf Essential Oil from Ivorian Isolona dewevrei (De Wild. & T. Durand) Engl. & Diels

The chemical variability and the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf essential oil from Ivorian Isolona dewevrei were investigated for the first time. Forty-seven oil samples were analyzed using a combination of CC, GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C-NMR, thus leading to the identification of 113 constituents (90.8-98.9%). As the main components varied drastically from sample to sample, the 47 oil compositions were submitted to hierarchical cluster and principal components analyses. Three distinct groups, each divided into two subgroups, were evidenced. Subgroup I-A was dominated by (Z)-β-ocimene, β-eudesmol, germacrene D and (E)-β-ocimene, while (10βH)-1β,8β-oxido-cadina-4-ene, santalenone, trans-α-bergamotene and trans-β-bergamotene were the main compounds of Subgroup I-B. The prevalent constituents of Subgroup II-A were germacrene B, (E)-β-caryophyllene, (5αH,10βMe)-6,12-oxido-elema-1,3,6,11(12)-tetraene and γ-elemene. Subgroup II-B displayed germacrene B, germacrene D and (Z)-β-ocimene as the majority compounds. Germacrene D was the most abundant constituent of Group III, followed in Subgroup III-A by (E)-β-caryophyllene, (10βH)-1β,8β-oxido-cadina-4-ene, germacrene D-8-one, and then in Subgroup III-B by (Z)-β-ocimene and (E)-β-ocimene. The observed qualitative and quantitative chemical variability was probably due to combined factors, mostly phenology and season, then harvest site to a lesser extent. The lipoxygenase inhibition by a leaf oil sample was also evaluated. The oil IC50 (0.020 ± 0.005 mg/mL) was slightly higher than the non-competitive lipoxygenase inhibitor NDGA IC50 (0.013 ± 0.003 mg/mL), suggesting a significant in vitro anti-inflammatory potential.

A New Sesquiterpene Essential Oil from the Native Andean Species Jungia rugosa Less (Asteraceae): Chemical Analysis, Enantiomeric Evaluation, and Cholinergic Activity

As part of a project devoted to the phytochemical study of Ecuadorian biodiversity, new essential oils are systematically distilled and analysed. In the present work, Jungia rugosa Less (Asteraceae) has been selected and some wild specimens collected to investigate the volatile fraction. The essential oil, obtained from fresh leaves, was analysed for the first time in the present study. The chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography, coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for qualitative analysis, and to flame ionization detector (GC-FID) for quantitation. The calculation of relative response factors (RRF), based on combustion enthalpy, was carried out for each quantified component. Fifty-six compounds were identified and quantified in a 5% phenyl-polydimethylsiloxane non-polar column and 53 compounds in a polyethylene glycol polar column, including four undetermined compounds. The main feature of this essential oil was the exclusive sesquiterpenes content, both hydrocarbons (74.7% and 80.4%) and oxygenated (8.3% and 9.6%). Major constituents were: γ-curcumene (47.1% and 49.7%) and β-sesquiphellandrene (17.0% and 17.9%), together with two abundant undetermined oxygenated sesquiterpenes, whose abundance was 6.7-7.2% and 4.7-3.3%, respectively. In addition, the essential oil was submitted to enantioselective evaluation in two β-cyclodextrin-based enantioselective columns, determining the enantiomeric purity of a minor component (1S,2R,6R,7R,8R)-(+)-α-copaene. Finally, the AChE inhibition activity of the EO was evaluated in vitro. In conclusion, this volatile fraction is suitable for further investigation, according to two main lines: (a) the purification and structure elucidation of the major undetermined compounds, (b) a bio-guided fractionation, intended to investigate the presence of new sesquiterpene AChE inhibitors among the minor components.

Qualitative profiling of mono- and sesquiterpenols in aglycon libraries from Vitis vinifera L. Gewürztraminer using multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In grape berries (Vitis vinifera L.), sesquiterpenes are mainly accumulated as hydrocarbons in the epicuticular wax layer of grapes, whereas monoterpenes, which are predominantly present as alcohols, are glycosylated and are stored as glycosides in the vacuoles of grape berry cells. In this study, extensive analysis of grape berry hydrolysates by means of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight–mass spectrometry demonstrated that glycosylated sesquiterpene alcohols show very little structural diversity when compared to the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon fraction in the cuticle and are glycosylated to a rather low extent when compared to monoterpenols. Twenty-four enzymatically released terpenols were found in hydrolysates of the aromatic white wine variety Gewürztraminer (V. vinifera subsp. vinifera) after previous solid-phase extraction and headspace solid-phase microextraction. The detection of only three sesquiterpene alcohols, namely farnesol, nerolidol and drimenol, shows that most sesquiterpene hydrocarbons do not have a related hydroxylated structure in grapes. Nevertheless, the presence of the acyclic aglycone farnesol and nerolidol may be of importance for the wine aroma, since these structural isomers can be converted into numerous sesquiterpenes by nonenzymatic acid-catalyzed reactions during wine production. Grape-derived glycosidically bound sesquiterpene alcohols, therefore, represent, in addition to free sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, another pool of compounds that may influence the aroma profile of wines.

Chemical composition of root and stem bark essential oils from Ivorian Isolona dewevrei: structural elucidation of a new natural germacrone

The root and stem bark essential oils from Isolona dewevrei (Annonaceae), growing wild in Côte d'Ivoire, were investigated for the first time, using a combination of chromatographic [CC, GC(RI)] and spectroscopic [MS, ¹³C-NMR] techniques. A new natural germacrone was isolated by repetitive column chromatography carried out on a stem bark oil sample. Its structure was elucidated as germacra-1(10),4(15),5-trien-8-one by 1 D, 2 D-NMR and QTOF-MS. Ninety-six components accounting for 95.5 ± 0.8% and 95.8 ± 1.0%, respectively, for the root and stem bark essential oil samples were identified. The major compounds of root oil were cyperene (19.7 ± 1.6%) and camphene (10.1 ± 2.1%), followed by 5-isopentenylindole (6.4 ± 2.4%), β-elemene (3.9 ± 0.3%), (Z)-α-bisabolene (3.2 ± 1.2%) and γ-gurjunene (3.2 ± 0.3%). The stem bark oil was also dominated by cyperene (29.2 ± 4.1%), followed by β-elemene (6.2 ± 1.1%), (Z)-α-bisabolene (3.8 ± 1.0%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (3.3 ± 0.7%) and α-copaene (2.8 ± 1.1%).

New Natural Oxygenated Sesquiterpenes and Chemical Composition of Leaf Essential Oil from Ivoirian Isolona dewevrei (De Wild. & T. Durand) Engl. & Diels

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the leaf essential oil from Ivoirian Isolona dewevrei. A combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques (GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C-NMR) was used to analyze two oil samples (S1 and S2). Detailed analysis by repetitive column chromatography (CC) of essential oil sample S2 was performed, leading to the isolation of four compounds. Their structures were elucidated by QTOF-MS, 1D and 2D-NMR as (10βH)-1β,8β-oxido-cadin-4-ene (38), 4-methylene-(7αH)-germacra-1(10),5-dien-8β-ol (cis-germacrene D-8-ol) (52), 4-methylene-(7αH)-germacra-1(10),5-dien-8α-ol (trans-germacrene D-8-ol) (53) and cadina-1(10),4-dien-8β-ol (56). Compounds 38, 52 and 53 are new, whereas NMR data of 56 are reported for the first time. Lastly, 57 constituents accounting for 95.5% (S1) and 97.1% (S2) of the whole compositions were identified. Samples S1 and S2 were dominated by germacrene D (23.6 and 20.5%, respectively), followed by germacrene D-8-one (8.9 and 8.7%), (10βH)-1β,8β-oxido-cadin-4-ene (7.3 and 8.7), 4-methylene-(7αH)-germacra-1(10),5-dien-8β-ol (7.8 and 7.4%) and cadina-1(10),4-dien-8β-ol (7.6 and 7.2%). Leaves from I. dewevrei produced sesquiterpene-rich essential oil with an original chemical composition, involving various compounds reported for the first time among the main components. Integrated analysis by GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C-NMR appeared fruitful for the knowledge of such a complex essential oil.

Apoprunellelactone (APL), an antiprotozoal lactone from the stem barks of Isolona cooperi Hutch. & Dalziel (Annonaceae)

Bioassay guided fractionation of the stem barks of Isolona cooperi led to the isolation of a new lactone, apoprunellelactone (APL, 1), and two known compounds, 5-[1-hydroxyhexyl]-2H-furan-2-one (2) and oleic acid (3). Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis including MS, UV, IR, 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. Evaluated for its antiprotozoal activities, APL (1) was found to be the most active on Leishmania donovani and L. major promastigotes with EC₅₀ values of 16.3 and 8.2 µM, respectively. Against Trypanosoma brucei brucei trypomastigote forms, the activity of APL was moderated (MEC = 38.0 µM). Its hemisynthetic ester acetic derivative (1c) was 2-42 times more active than that of the APL and reference drugs, justifying further in vivo evaluation of the two compounds (1 and 1c) on Leishmania sp and Trypanosoma brucei brucei/mice models.

Phytotoxic Effects and Phytochemical Fingerprinting of Hydrodistilled Oil, Enriched Fractions, and Isolated Compounds Obtained from Cryptocarya massoy (Oken) Kosterm. Bark

The hydrodistilled oil of Cryptocarya massoy bark was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses, allowing the identification of unusual C10 massoia lactone (3, 56.2%), C12 massoia lactone (4, 16.5%), benzyl benzoate (1, 12.7%), C8 massoia lactone (3.4%), δ-decalactone (5, 1.5%), and benzyl salicylate (2, 1.8%) as main constituents. The phytotoxic activities of the oil, three enriched fractions (lactone-rich, ester-rich, and sesquiterpene-rich), and four constituents (compounds 1, 2, 5, and δ-dodecalactone (6)) against Lycopersicon esculentum and Cucumis sativus seeds and seedlings were screened. At a concentration of 1000 μl/l, the essential oil and the massoia lactone-rich fraction caused a complete inhibition of the germination of both seeds, and, when applied on tomato plantlets, they induced an 85 and 100% dieback, respectively. These performances exceeded those of the well-known phytotoxic essential oils of Syzygium aromaticum and Cymbopogon citratus, already used in commercial products for the weed and pest management. The same substances were also evaluated against four phytopathogenic bacteria and ten phytopathogenic fungi, providing EC50 values against the most susceptible strains in the 100-500 μl/l range for the essential oil and in the 10-50 μl/l range for compound 6 and the lactone-rich fraction. The phytotoxic behavior was related mainly to massoia lactones and benzyl esters, while a greater amount of 6 may infer a good activity against some phytopathogenic fungi. Further investigations of these secondary metabolites are warranted, to evaluate their use as natural herbicides.

Three new natural compounds from the root bark essential oil from Xylopia aethiopica

INTRODUCTION

In the course of on-going work on the characterisation of aromatic plants from the Ivory Coast we investigated the composition of the root oil from Xylopia aethiopica.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this work was to investigate the chemical composition of X. aethiopica root oil and elucidate the structure of two new compounds.

METHODOLOGY

Analysis of the essential oil was carried out using a combination of chromatographic (CC, GC with retention indices) and spectroscopic techniques (MS, (13)C-NMR, 2D-NMR).

RESULTS

Twenty seven components, accounting for 95.6% of the whole composition, were identified including various compounds for which spectroscopic data were absent on commercial computerised MS libraries. Three compounds are reported for the first time as natural compounds and the structure of two new compounds, 4,4-dimethyl-2-vinylcyclohexene and endo-5-methoxy-3-patchoulene, has been elucidated using extensive two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.

CONCLUSION

The composition of X. aethiopica root oil is dominated by two dimethylvinylcyclohexene isomers. It differs drastically from the composition of leaf and fruit oils of the same plant. The combination of analytical techniques appeared crucial for a fruitful analysis.

Practical synthesis of 7-prenylindole

7-Prenylindole is a useful building block for natural product and natural product analogue synthesis. While there have been several past syntheses of 7-prenylindole, none of them is very practical for its preparation on scale. Using an aza-Claisen rearrangement as the key step, 7-prenylindole has been prepared in four steps from indoline in 62% overall yield.