Chemical Constituents from the Roots of <i>Furcraea bedinghausii</i> Koch

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Furcraea bedinghausii Koch. Led to the isolation of a mixture of two new homoisoflavones, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)-chromone (4a) and 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-chromone (4b), together with the known β-sitosterol (1), 7,4'-dihydroxyhomoisoflavane (2), dihydrobonducellin (3), kaempferol (5), 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-chromone (6), 1-linoleylglycerol (7), 6'-linoleyl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-sitosterol (8), trans-3,3',5,5'-tetrahydroxy-4'-methoxystilbene (9), yuccaol C (10), yuccaol D (11), 3-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl-b-sitosterol (12), 4-[6-O-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy]-3-methoxybenzoic acid (13) and two pairs of steroidal saponins: (25R)-2α-3β–dihydroxy-5α-spirostan-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (14a) and (25R)-2α-3β–dihydroxy-5α-spirost-9-en-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (14b), (25R)-3β–hydroxy-5α-spirostan-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (15a) and (25R)-3β–hydroxy-5α-spirost-9-en-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (15b). Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data and by comparison with literature

Insecticidal activities of essential oil ofCallistemon viminalisapplied as fumigant and powder against two bruchids

The fumigant and contact toxicity of essential oil (EO) extracted from the leaves of Callistemon viminalis and its aromatized clay powder (ACP) was evaluated against adults of Acanthoscelides obtectus and Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). The results obtained for fumigation assays showed that C. maculatus seems to be more susceptible (LC50 = 0.019 μl/cm3) to the vapours of the essential oil than A. obtectus (LC50 = 0.011 μl/cm3) after 12 h exposure. On the other hand, A. obtectus seems to be more susceptible (LD50 = 0.133 μl/g) to the essential oil applied by contact on grains than C. maculatus (LD50 = 0.170 μl/g) after 2 days exposure. The ACP was also very toxic towards the adults of A. obtectus (LD50 = 0.100 μl/g) and C. maculatus (LD50 = 0.098 μl/g) by contact on grains. At the doses of 0.133 μl/g and 0.266 μl/g, mortalities caused by ACP on grains were higher than those caused by the same dose of EO against the two bruchids. It is also established that both the EO and the ACP caused higher inhibition of F1 progeny production of A. obtectus than that of C. maculatus. The loss of insecticidal activity of the two materials in the course of time has been observed; however, the toxicity of the ACP was more persistent than that of the oil in the course of time when applied on grains. These results suggest that EO from the leaves of C. viminalis can be used as fumigant agent against A. obtectus and C. maculatus. In addition, it could be advisable to use an adsorbent mineral material as carrier of this EO for the prolongation of its insecticidal activity in the course of time

Chemical Constituents from the Roots of Furcraea bedinghausii Koch

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Furcraea bedinghausii Koch. Led to the isolation of a mixture of two new homoisoflavones, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)-chromone (4a) and 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-chromone (4b), together with the known β-sitosterol (1), 7,4'-dihydroxyhomoisoflavane (2), dihydrobonducellin (3), kaempferol (5), 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-chromone (6), 1-linoleylglycerol (7), 6’-linoleyl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-sitosterol (8), trans-3,3’,5,5’-tetrahydroxy-4’-methoxystilbene (9), yuccaol C (10), yuccaol D (11), 3-O--D-glucopyranosyl--sitosterol (12), 4-[6-O-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy]-3-methoxybenzoic acid (13) and two pairs of steroidal saponins: (25R)-2α-3β–dihydroxy-5α-spirostan-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (14a) and (25R)-2α-3β–dihydroxy-5α-spirost-9-en-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (14b), (25R)-3β–hydroxy-5α-spirostan-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (15a) and (25R)-3β–hydroxy-5α-spirost-9-en-12-one 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranoside (15b). Their structures were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data and by comparison with literature

Chemical Composition, Insecticidal Effect and Repellent Activity of Essential Oils of Three Aromatic Plants, Alone and in Combination, towards Sitophilus Oryzae L. (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)

Essential oils of aromatic plants with insecticidal properties are nowadays considered as alternative insecticides to protect stored products from attack by insect pests. A combination of some of these plants in the granaries is a current practice in certain localities of northern Cameroon. The aim of the present work was to analyze the impact of the combinations of the essential oils of Vepris heterophylla (Rutaceae), Ocimum canum, and Hyptis spicigera (both Lamiaceae), the three most used local aromatic plants because of their insecticidal activity and their repellent effect on Sitophilus oryzae. The present work revealed that these plants are rich in monoterpenoids. The GC/MS analyses have shown that monoterpenoids represented 65.5% for H. spicigera, 92.1% for O. canum and 47.0% for V. heterophylla. The crude essential oil of O. canum was the most insecticidal with a LD50 of 42.9 ppm. The most repellent effect was obtained by a combination of the essential oils of H. spicigera and O. canum, with a repellent percentage at 77.5%. These results suggest a suitable strategy for pest management of stored products

Steroidal saponins from the leaves of Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev. and their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity

Three new steroidal saponins, spirosta-5,25(27)-diene-1β,3β-diol-1-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-fucopyranoside (fruticoside H) 1, 5α-spirost-25(27)-ene-1β,3β-diol-1-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-(4-O-sulfo)-β-d-fucopyranoside (fruticoside I) 2, and (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1β,3β,16β,22-tetrol 1-O-β-galactopyranosyl-16-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (fruticoside J) 3, together with the known quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-[6-trans-p-coumaroyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-rutinoside, apigenin 8-C-β-d-glucopyranoside and farrerol, were isolated from the leaves of Cordyline fruticosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, 1H–1H COSY, HMBC, TOCSY, NOESY), mass spectrometry (HRESIMS, Tandem MS–MS), chemical methods and by comparison with published data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB 231 human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, HCT 116 human colon carcinoma cell line, and A375 human malignant melanoma cell line, while compound 3 was not active. Compound 2 also showed a moderate antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis

Phytoconstituents and preliminary antiradical property evaluation of Baillonella toxisperma (Sapotaceae)

From the EtOAc fraction of the methanol extract of the stem barks of Baillonella toxisperma (Sapotaceae), eight compounds were isolated using column chromatography techniques. Their structures were established on the basis of 1D and 2D-NMR data and comparison with data published in the literature. The MeOH extract, n-BuOH and EtOAc fractions together with some pure compounds (4, 5, 7, 8) were screened for their radical scavenging activity using the2,2-diphenyl-1- picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical in order to get preliminary information about the antiradical capacities of this plant.Keywords: Baillonella toxisperma;Sapotaceae; DPPH; Antiradical activit

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the extracts and compounds from the leaves of <it>Psorospermum aurantiacum</it> Engl. and <it>Hypericum lanceolatum</it> Lam.

Abstract Background Psorospermun aurantiacum and Hypericum lanceolatum are plants locally used in Cameroon and other parts of Africa for the treatment of gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections, skin infections, venereal diseases, gastrointestinal disorder, infertility, epilepsy as well as microbial infections. The present study was designed in order to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial and radical scavenging activities of the extracts and isolated compounds from the leaves of these plants. Methods The plant extract was prepared by maceration in ethyl acetate and methanol and fractionated by column chromatography. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses in conjunction with literature data. The broth microdilution method was used to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeasts and dermatophytes. The antioxidant potentials of the extracts and their isolated compounds were evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging method. Results Five known compounds: physcion (1), 1,8-dihydroxy-3-geranyloxy-6-methylanthraquinone (2), kenganthranol B (3), vismiaquinone (4), and octacosanol (5) were isolated from the leaves of P. aurantiacum while six compounds including friedelin (6), betulinic acid (7), 2,2’,5,6’-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (8), allanxanthone A (9), 1,3,6- trihydroxyxanthone (10) and isogarcinol (11) were isolated from H. lanceolatum. Compound 8 and 4 exhibited the highest antibacterial and antifungal activities with MIC ranges of 2–8 μg/ml and 4–32 μg/ml respectively. P. aurantiacum crude extract (Rsa50 = 6.359 ± 0.101) showed greater radical scavenging activity compared with H. lanceolatum extract (Rsa50 = 30.996 ± 0.879). Compound 11 showed the highest radical scavenging activity (RSa50 = 1.012 ± 0.247) among the isolated compounds, comparable to that of L-arscobic acid (RSa50 = 0.0809 ± 0.045). Conclusions The experimental findings show that the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts and isolated compounds from P. aurantiacum and H. lanceolatum stem bark possess significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities justifying the use of these plants in traditional medicine, which may be developed as phytomedicines.</p

Volatile oil from striped African pepper (Xylopia parviflora, Annonaceae) possesses notable chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial potential

Fruits of Xylopia parviflora, well known as striped African pepper, are sold in the Cameroonian markets as a flavouring ingredient to make traditional soups. The essential oil hydrodistilled from fruits was analysed for in vitro biological activities, namely cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant, by MTT, nitric oxide inhibitory assay, agar disc diffusion method, and DPPH and ABTS assays. The essential oil composition, analysed by GC and GC–MS, was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (50.0%) responsible for the pepper odour, such as β-pinene (34.0%) and α-pinene (10.3%). The oil induced a strong inhibitory effect on tumour cells MDA-MB 231 and HCT116, with inhibition values close to those of cisplatin. A dose-dependent decrease in NO production was noted in RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with the oil, revealing a promising anti-inflammatory potential. The essential oil showed a measurable antimicrobial activity against all the species tested, while the radical scavenging activity was low

New 21-nordammarane saponins with anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities from Lavigeria macrocarpa Oliv

: Chemical investigation of the ethanol extract from the stems and roots of the medicinal plant Lavigeria macrocarpa led to the isolation and structure elucidation of three previously unreported 21-nordammarane-type saponins namely 6α,27-dihydroxy-3,20-dioxo-21-nordammar-24-(Z)-ene 27-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside] (1), 6α,27-dihydroxy-3-oxo-21-nordammar-24-(Z)-ene 27-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), and 2α,3β,6α,27-tetrahydroxy-21-nordammar-24-(Z)-ene 27-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3) trivially named lavigemacrocarposide A-C, along with eight known secondary metabolites. Acid hydrolysis of lavigemacrocarposide A yielded a new prosapogenin namely 6α,27-dihydroxy-3,20-dioxo-21-nordammar-24-(Z)-ene 27-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1a) and the previously unreported artefactual aglycones 1b and 1c. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR as well as chemical evidence. The EtOH extract, some isolated compounds as well as the prosapogenin (1a) and compounds 1b and 1c were evaluated for anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity. Icacine (5) exhibited a significant cytotoxicity against both HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines with an IC50 value of 0.78&nbsp;μg/mL. All the tested compounds showed more that 50% inhibition of NO production, except for 1 and 2