ABSTRACT
The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of Santolina chamaecyparissus L., growing in Algeria, was investigated by GC-MS analyses. A total of 36 compounds were identified, accounting for 91.7% of the essential oil obtained. Camphor (31.1%) and cubenol (17.0%) were the predominant compounds. The potential of the antimicrobial activity was also investigated and the tested sample proved to be very active against Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans (34.1 +/- 0.02 mm and 35.0 +/- 0.01 mm, respectively). Transverse sections of the leaf and stem of the plant suggest that the essential oil is localized in endogenous and exogenous sites.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Asteraceae/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Algeria , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Candida albicans/drug effects , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plant Stems/chemistry , Terpenes/chemistry , Terpenes/pharmacologyABSTRACT
A novel elemanolide with an alpha-methyl-gamma-lactone moiety, 8alpha-O-(4-hydroxy-2-methylenebutanoyloxy)melitensine, in addition to four known sesquiterpene lactones also bearing the same lactone ring, melitensin, 11beta,13 dihydrosalonitenolide, 8alpha-hydroxy-11beta,13-dihydro-4-epi-sonchucarpolide, and 8alpha-hydroxy-11beta,13-dihydro-onopordaldehyde have been isolated from the aerial parts of Centaurea pullata. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of the isolated sesquiterpene lactones were tested against six bacteria and eight fungal species, using a microdilution method. All compounds tested showed greater antibacterial and antifungal activities than the positive controls used. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic profile of these compounds was investigated using computational methods.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Centaurea/chemistry , Lactones/chemistry , Lactones/pharmacology , Sesquiterpenes/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/isolation & purification , Lactones/isolation & purification , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Microbial Viability/drug effects , Molecular Structure , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
The aerial parts of Centaurea pullata afforded, in addition to the previously isolated sesquiterpene lactones, 11beta,13-dihydrocnicin and 11beta,13-dihydro-19-desoxycnicin, three minor sesquiterpene lactones, namely, a new germacranolide, 8alpha-O-(4-acetoxy-5-hydroxyangeloyl)-11beta,13-dihydrocnicin, and two new eudesmanolides, 8alpha-O-(4-hydroxy-2-methylenebutanoyloxy)-11beta,13-dihydrosonchucarpolide and 8alpha-O-(4-hydroxy-2-methylenebutanoyloxy)-11beta,13-dihydro-4-epi-sonchucarpolide. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of all isolated sesquiterpene lactones was tested against six bacteria and eight fungal species, using a microdilution method. All compounds tested showed greater antibacterial and antifungal activities than the positive controls used.