Sesquiterpenoids from Meliaceae Family and Their Biological Activities

Sesquiterpenoids, an important class of natural products possessing three isoprene-derived units, are widely distributed across plants and have a variety of biological activities. All sesquiterpenoids are derived from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), a biosynthesis precursor that can form various carbon skeletons. In order to provide a reference for further research and development of these compounds, this review focused on the increasing number of isolated and volatile sesquiterpenoids found to be produced by plants of the Meliaceae family between 1968 and 2023. The related articles were collected from SciFinder, Google Scholar, and PubMed. According to a literature review, several studies were started for more than 55 years on the plant's stem barks, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, and pericarps, where approximately 413 sesquiterpenoid compounds from several groups such as eudesmane, aromadendrane, cadinane, guaiane, bisabolane, furanoeremophilane, humulene, germacrane, and oppositane-type were isolated and identified with some minor products. Additionally, the hypothetical route of sesquiterpenoids biosynthesis from this family was identified, and eudesmane-type was reported to be 27% of the total compounds. The antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antiviral, and cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds and major volatile sesquiterpenoids constituent on essential oil were also evaluated. The result showed the fundamental of using the sesquiterpenoid compounds from the Meliaceae family in traditional medicine and the discovery of new drugs.

New hydroperoxycycloartane-complete chemical shifts assignment of 13C and 1H-and cytotoxicity evaluation of cycloartanes isolated from Trichilia casaretti

New cycloartane, 22-hydroxy-25-hydroperoxycycloart-23E-en-3-one (1), along with six known analogues (2-7) and three steroids (8-10), were isolated from the leaves of Trichilia casaretti. Structures were elucidated mainly on the basis of the analysis of 1D and 2D NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and HRESIMS spectroscopic data, involving comparison with data of the literature. The cytotoxic activities of 1-7 and 10 isolated compounds were also evaluated against human leukemia cell line Molt-4 (acute lymphoblastic) and exhibited good cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 10.62 to 21.14 μM.

A phytochemical investigation of Stemona parviflora roots reveals several compounds with nematocidal activity

Twelve undescribed compounds including six phenanthrene derivatives (parviphenanthrines A-F), two stilbene derivatives (parvistilbines A-B), three esters (parviesters A-C), and one sesquiterpenoid (parvidiol A) were isolated from the roots of Stemona parviflora, together with twenty-two known ones. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated based on the analyses of their spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of parviphenanthrine A was determined by the quantum ECD calculations. Parviphenanthrines A and E, stemanthrene A, stilbostenin E, 4-hydroxy-benzenepropanol-α-benzoate, and (E)-4-hydroxycinnamic acid methyl ester showed nematocidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita with IC₅₀ values of 14.02 ± 0.32, 2.51 ± 0.13, 17.10 ± 0.65, 2.05 ± 0.07, 4.22 ± 0.31, and 1.07 ± 0.05 μM, respectively.

Two Novel Cycloartane-Type Triterpenes from Trichilia casaretti C. DC. (Meliaceae)

Two new triterpenes cycloartane-type, named 24-methylencycloartan-12-oxo-3β,22α-diol and trichiliol, were isolated from the leaves of Trichilia casaretti C. DC. together with three known triterpenes—24-methylencycloart-3β,22-diol, 22,25-dihydrocycloart-23(E)-en-3β-ol, and 22(R)-hydroxycycloart-24-en-3-ol. These compounds were characterized on the basis of their spectral data, mainly 1D (¹H and ¹³C) and 2D NMR (¹H-¹H-COSY, ¹H-¹H-NOESY, HMQC, HSQC, and HMBC), and mass spectra (EI-MS and HR-ESI-MS), also involving comparison with data from the literature.

Lepidotrichilins A and B, new protolimonoids with cytotoxic activity from Trichilia lepidota (Meliaceae)

Two novel protolimonoids, named lepidotrichilins A (1) and B (2), four known protolimonoids, 21,23-epoxy-7α-21α-dihydroxyapotirucalla-14,24-dien-3-one (3), 21,23-epoxy-7α-21β-dihydroxyapotiru-calla-14,24-dien-3-one (4), dysorone D (5), deoxy-flindissone (6), and the two steroids β-sitosterol (7) and stigmasterol (8) were identified in leaves of Trichilia lepidota subsp. schumanniana (Harms) T.D. Pennington. From wood the coumarin scopoletin (9) was isolated. The structures were established by NMR (1D ¹H and ¹³C-NMR and 2D ¹H-¹H COSY, HMQC and HMBC), mass spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectral data. The hexane and methanol extracts of the leaves, the protolimonoids lepidotrichilins A (1) and B (2) (IC₅₀ 42.7 µg mL⁻¹) and the protolimonoid deoxy-flindissone (6; IC₅₀ 9.3 µgmL⁻¹) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the MOLT-4 and U937 leukemic cell lines.

Natural sesquiterpenoids

This review covers the isolation, structural determination, synthesis and chemical and microbiological transformations of natural sesquiterpenoids. The literature from January to December 2012 is reviewed, and 471 references are cited.

Hirtinone, a Novel cycloartane-type triterpene and other compounds from Trichilia hirta L. (Meliaceae)

One novel triterpene cycloartane-type, named hirtinone (1), six protolimonoids – nilocitin (2), dihydronilocitin B (3), melianone epimers (4) and (5), piscidinol A (6) and melianone lactone (7), one tertranortriterpenoid, hirtin (8), and one sesquiterpene, spathulenol (9), were identified in the fruits of Trichilia hirta. The structures were established by 1D and 2D NMR (¹H and ¹³C-NMR, DEPTQ, ¹H-¹H-COSY, ¹H-¹H-NOESY, HSQC and HMBC), high resolution mass spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS) and infrared (IR) spectral data.