Antimicrobial Phenolics and Unusual Glycerides from <i>Helichrysum italicum</i> subsp. <i>microphyllum</i>
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Abstract
During a large-scale isolation campaign for the heterodimeric
phloroglucinyl
pyrone arzanol (<b>1a</b>) from <i>Helichrysum italicum</i> subsp. <i>microphyllum</i>, several new phenolics as well
as an unusual class of lipids named santinols (<b>5a</b>โ<b>c</b>, <b>6</b>โ<b>8</b>) have been characterized.
Santinols are angeloylated glycerides characterized by the presence
of branched acyl- or keto-acyl chains and represent a hitherto unreported
class of plant lipids. The antibacterial activity of arzanol and of
a selection of <i>Helichrysum</i> phenolics that includes
coumarates, benzofurans, pyrones, and heterodimeric phloroglucinols
was evaluated, showing that only the heterodimers showed potent antibacterial
action against multidrug-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolates. These observations validate the topical use of <i>Helichrysum</i> extracts to prevent wound infections, a practice
firmly established in the traditional medicine of the Mediterranean
area