Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils from Senecio nutans, Senecio viridis, Tagetes terniflora and Aloysia gratissima against toxigenic Aspergillus and Fusarium species.

Essential oils from aerial parts of Senecio nutans, Senecio viridis, Tagetes terniflora and Aloysia gratissima were analysed by GC-MS and their antifungal activities were assayed on toxigenic Fusarium and Aspergillus species. Sabinene (27.6 ± 0.1%), α-phellandrene (15.7 ± 0.3%), o-cymene (9.6 ± 0.2%) and ß-pinene (6.1 ± 0.2%) in S. nutans, 9,10-dehydrofukinone (92.7 ± 0.2%) in S. viridis, ß-thujone (36.1 ± 0.1%), α-thujone (32.2 ± 0.2%), 1,8-cineol (10.7 ± 0.1%) and sabinene (6.2 ± 0.2%) in A. gratissima, and cis-tagetone (33.6 ± 0.2%), cis-ß-ocimene (17.1 ± 0.2%), trans-tagetone (17.0 ± 0.1%), cis-ocimenone (8.0 ± 0.2%) and trans-ocimenone (8.2 ± 0.1%) in T. terniflora. The oils showed moderate antifungal activity (1.2 mg/mL > MIC >0.6 mg/mL) on the Fusarium species and a weak effect on Aspergillus species. The antifungal activity was associated on F. verticillioides to the high content of cis-tagetone, trans-tagetone, cis-ß-ocimene, cis-ocimenone, trans-ocimenone and on F. graminearum due to the total content of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and 9,10- dehydrofukinone. The oil of S. viridis synergized the effect of fungicides and food preservatives on F. verticillioides.[Formula: see text].

Activity of Estafietin and Analogues on Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania braziliensis.

Sesquiterpene lactones are naturally occurring compounds mainly found in the Asteraceae family. These types of plant metabolites display a wide range of biological activities, including antiprotozoal activity and are considered interesting structures for drug discovery. Four derivatives were synthesized from estafietin (1), isolated from Stevia alpina (Asteraceae): 11ßH,13-dihydroestafietin (2), epoxyestafietin (3a and 3b), 11ßH,13-methoxyestafietin, (4) and 11ßH,13-cianoestafietin. The antiprotozoal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania braziliensis of these compounds was evaluated. Epoxyestafietin was the most active compound against T. cruzi trypomastigotes and amastigotes (IC50 values of 18.7 and 2.0 µg/mL, respectively). Estafietin (1) and 11ßH,13-dihydroestafietin (2) were the most active and selective compounds on L. braziliensis promastigotes (IC50 values of 1.0 and 1.3 µg/mL, respectively). The antiparasitic activity demonstrated by estafietin and some of its derivatives make them promising candidates for the development of effective compounds for the treatment of Chagas disease and leihsmaniasis.

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils from medicinal plants of Kazakhstan.

The composition of essential oils from leaves of Kazakhstan medicinal plants was analysed by GC-MS. The major compounds identified were 1,8-cineole (34.2%), myrcene (19.1%) and α-pinene (9.4%) in Ajania fruticulosa; 1,8-cineole (21.0%), ß-thujone (11.0%), camphor (8.5%), borneol (7.3%) and α-thujone (6.5%), in Achillea nobilis; camphor (47.3%), 1,8-cineole (23.9%), camphene (9.8%) and ß-thujone (6.0%) in Artemisia terrae-albae; 1,8-cineole(55.8%) and ß-pinene (6.2%) in Hyssopus ambiguus; α-thuyene(46.3%) and δ-cadinene(6.3%) in Juniperus sibirica; sabinene (64%) in Juniperus sabina; and α-pinene (51.5%), ß-phellandrene (11.2%) and δ-cadinene (6.3%) in Pinus sibirica. The essential oils did not show antifungal effect (MIC > 1.20 mg/mL) on Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus niger, while the oils from A. nobilis, A. terrae-albae, H. ambiguus and J. sabina exhibited moderate and moderate to weak antimicrobial activities on Fusarium verticillioides (MIC = 0.60 mg/mL) and Fusarium graminearum (MIC = 0.60-1.20 mg/mL), respectively. A principal component analysis associated the antifungal activity (r2 > 0.80, p = 0.05) with the presence of borneol, camphor, camphene, 1,8-cineole,α- and ß-thujone, and of the oxygenated monoterpenes.

Intraspecific variation in essential oil composition of the medicinal plant Lippia integrifolia (Verbenaceae). Evidence for five chemotypes.

The aerial parts of Lippia integrifolia (incayuyo) are widely used in northwestern and central Argentina for their medicinal and aromatic properties. The essential oil composition of thirty-one wild populations of L. integrifolia covering most of its natural range was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. A total of one hundred and fifty two terpenoids were identified in the essential oils. Sesquiterpenoids were the dominant components in all but one of the collections analyzed, the only exception being a sample collected in San Juan province where monoterpenoids amounted to 51%. Five clearly defined chemotypes were observed. One possessed an exquisite and delicate sweet aroma with trans-davanone as dominant component (usually above 80%). Another with an exotic floral odour was rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenoids based on the rare lippifoliane and africanane skeletons. The trans-davanone chemotype is the first report of an essential oil containing that sesquiterpene ketone as the main constituent. The absolute configuration of trans-davanone from L. integrifolia was established as 6S, 7S, 10S, the enantiomer of trans-davanone from 'davana oil' (Artemisia pallens). Wild plants belonging to trans-davanone and lippifolienone chemotypes were propagated and cultivated in the same parcel of land in Santa Maria, Catamarca. The essential oil compositions of the cultivated plants were essentially identical to the original plants in the wild, indicating that the essential oil composition is largely under genetic control. Specimens collected near the Bolivian border that initially were identified as L. boliviana Rusby yielded an essential oil practically identical to the trans-davanone chemotype of L. integrifolia supporting the recent view that L. integrifolia (Gris.) Hieron. and L. boliviana Rusby are synonymous.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Acantholippia deserticola, Artemisia proceriformis, Achillea micrantha and Libanotis buchtormensis against phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Essential oils from aerial parts of Acantholippia deserticola, Artemisia proceriformis, Achillea micrantha and Libanotis buchtormensis were analysed by GC-MS. The major compounds identified were ß-thujone (66.5 ± 0.2%), and trans-sabinyl acetate (12.1 ± 0.2%) in A. deserticola; α-thujone (66.9 ± 0.4%) in A. proceriformis; 1,8-cineole (26.9 ± 0.5%), and camphor (17.7 ± 0.3%) in A. micrantha and cis-ß-ocimene (23.3 ± 0.3%), and trans-ß-ocimene (18.4 ± 0.2%) in L. buchtormensis. The oils showed a weak antimicrobial effect (MIC100 > 1.5 mg/ml) on most phytopathogens tested. A moderate antimicrobial activity (MIC100 between 0.5 and 1.5 mg/ml) was displayed by the oils of A. deserticola, A. micrantha and L. buchtormensis on Septoria tritici and by the oil of A. deserticola on Septoria glycine. The antimicrobial activity was associated to the contents of ß-thujone, trans-sabinyl acetate and trans-sabinol. Our results indicate that the tested essential oils have little inhibitory potency not suitable for use as plant protection products against the phytopathogens assayed.

Antifungal activity of 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)acetophenone against Candida albicans: evidence for the antifungal mode of action.

The main secondary metabolite of Senecio nutans is 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)acetophenone (4HMBA). The antifungal activity of this compound and three derivatives was assessed using Candida albicans. 4HMBA exhibited the highest antifungal activity among the assayed compounds. The Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC = 0.133) indicated a synergistic fungicidal effect of 4HMBA (5 mg L(-1)) and fluconazole (FLU) (0.5 mg L(-1)) against the C. albicans reference strain (ATCC 10231). Microscopy showed that 4HMBA inhibits filamentation and reduces cell wall thickness. Our findings suggest that 4HMBA is an interesting compound to diminish resistance to commercial fungistatic drugs such as fluconazole.

Synthesis, crystal structure, conformational and vibrational properties of 6-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-chromane.

The 6-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-chromane compound was synthesized and characterized by IR, Raman, UV-Visible and (1)H NMR spectroscopies. Its solid state structure was determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The substance crystallizes in the triclinic P-1 space group with a=5.9622(5) Å, b=10.342(1) Å, c=10.464(1) Å, α=63.81(1)°, ß=81.923(9)°, γ=82.645(9)°, and Z=2 molecules per unit cell. Due to extended π-bonding delocalization a substantial skeletal fragment of the molecule is planar. The vibrational modes were calculated at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level and all of them assigned in the IR and Raman spectra. The DFT calculated (1)H NMR spectrum (chemical shifts) were in good agreement with the experimental data. The electronic (UV-Visible) spectrum was calculated using TD-DFT method in gas phase and it was correlated with the experimental data. The assignment and analysis of the frontier HOMO and LUMO orbitals indicate that the absorption bands are mainly originated from π→π(*) transitions. According to DSC measurements the substance presents a melting point of 93°C and decomposes at temperatures higher than 196°C.

Molecular structure of 4-hidroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) acetophenone, a plant antifungal, by X-ray diffraction, DFT calculation, and NMR and FTIR spectroscopy.

The molecular structure of two mixed and closely related conformers of the title compound, C13H16O2, found in the solid with unequal occupancies has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The substance crystallizes in the monoclinic Pca2(1) space group with a=17.279(2), b=5.1716(7), c=12.549(2)Å, and Z=4 molecules per unit cell. The structure was solved from 1314 reflections with I>2σI and refined to an agreement R1-factor of 0.049. The minor conformer (34.7%) is nearly mirror-related to and extensively overlapped with the major one. The skeleton of the 4-hydroxyacetophenone molecular fragment and the prenyl group, (CH2)(CH)C(CH3)2, pendant arm attached to it are both planar and perpendicular to each other. A strong intermolecular O-H⋯O bond links neighboring molecules in the lattice to produce a polymeric structure. The conformational structures of the compound in the gas phase have been calculated by the DFT method and the geometrical results have been compared with the X-ray data. These data allow a complete assignment of vibration modes in the solid state FTIR and Raman spectra. The calculated 1H and 13C chemicals shifts are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental NMR spectra of the compound in solution.

Structural study, coordinated normal analysis and vibrational spectra of 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)acetophenone.

Structural and vibrational properties of 4-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)acetophenone, isolated from Senecio nutans Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) were studied by infrared and Raman spectroscopies in solid phase. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) method together with Pople's basis set show seven stable conformers for the compound in the gas phase and that only two conformations are probably present in the solid phase. The harmonic vibrational wavenumbers for the optimized geometry were calculated at B3LYP/6-31G and B3LYP/6-311++G levels. For a complete assignment of the vibrational spectra, DFT calculations were combined with Pulay´s Scaled Quantum Mechanics Force Field (SQMFF) methodology in order to fit the theoretical wavenumber values to the experimental ones. Then, a complete assignment of all the observed bands in the vibrational spectra was performed. The natural bond orbital (NBO) study reveals the characteristics of the electronic delocalization of the two stable structures, while the corresponding topological properties of electronic charge density were analyzed by employing Bader's Atoms in the Molecules theory (AIM).

Antioxidant, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of Senecio species used in traditional medicine of northwestern Argentina.

Senecio nutans Sch. Bip., S. viridis var. viridis Phill. and S. spegazzinii Cabrera are native species used in traditional medicine of northwestern Argentina. The total phenolics, flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids contents, as well as radical scavenging, antioxidant, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of aqueous extracts (infusion and decoction) of all three species were determined. S. nutans was the most active. The extracts did not show antibacterial activity. Alkaloids were not detected in any of the aqueous extracts of the three studied species.