Two new iridoids from selected Penstemon species--antimicrobial activity.

Eighteen secondary metabolites, belonging to three different chemical groups, were isolated from the methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of selected penstemon plants [Penstemon fruticosus (Pursh) Greene var. fruticosus, Penstemon palmeri Gray and Penstemon venustus Doug. ex Lindl.], and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence. Six iridoid glucosides (1-6), three phenylpropanoid glucosides (13-15) and two acetophenone derivatives (16,17), obtained from P. fruticosus, five iridoids (2, 7-10), one phenylpropanoid glucoside (15) and two acetophenones (16, 18), isolated from P. palmeri while three iridoids (2, 11, 12) and three phenylpropanoids (13-15) were identified in P. venustus. Two of the iridoid glucosides (4, 5) from P. fruticosus are new natural products named accordingly as cis- and trans- forms of 10-O-p-methoxycinnamoylaucubin. All isolated compounds, as well as crude methanolic extracts, were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against six Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and three human pathogenic fungi.

Chemical analysis of Penstemon campanulatus (Cav.) Willd.--antimicrobial activities.

A new iridoid glucoside named 10-isovaleroyl-dihydropenstemide (1), along with nine known compounds was isolated from the aerial part of Penstemon campanulatus (Cav.) Willd. The known compounds include three iridoid glucosides, one phenylpropanoid glucoside, one monoterpene glucoside, one monoterpene lactone and three flavonoids. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence. Additionally four phenolic acids as well as a fatty acid were determined through GC-MS analysis. All isolated compounds and the crude extracts were assayed for their antimicrobial activities against six Gram positive and negative bacteria, as well as against three human pathogenic fungi.