ABSTRACT
Six new homologous triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Maesa lanceolata and characterized as 3 beta-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 --> 2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl (1 --> 3)]-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosides alpha-diol, 22 alpha-angeloyloxy-16 alpha-butanoyloxy-13 beta,28-oxydoolean-21 beta,28 alpha-diol, 16 alpha,22 alpha-diangeloyloxy-13 beta,28-oxydoolean-21 beta,-28 alpha-diol, 22 alpha-angeloyloxy-13 beta,28-oxydo-16 alpha-(2-methyl-butanoyloxy)-olean-21 beta,28 alpha-diol, 21 beta-acetoxy-22 alpha-angeloyloxy-13 beta,28-oxydo-16 alpha-propanoyloxyolean-28 alpha-ol, 21 beta-acetoxy-22 alpha-angeloyloxy-16 alpha-butanoyloxy-13 beta,28-oxydoolean-28 alpha-01. The structures were established on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence.
Subject(s)
Plants, Medicinal , Saponins/chemistry , Trees , Triterpenes/chemistry , Carbohydrate Conformation , Carbohydrate Sequence , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Molecular Sequence Data , Molecular Structure , Plant Extracts , Plant Leaves , Rwanda , Saponins/isolation & purification , Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment , Triterpenes/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
The stem bark of Garcinia huillensis grown in Zaïre and used in central-African traditional medicine has been subjected to a bioassay-guided fractionation. The chemotherapeutically active petroleum ether extract afforded fatty acids, aliphatic alcohols, triterpenes and a polyisoprenylated benzophenone, which was identified as garcinol, also named camboginol. This compound has been shown to exhibit chemotherapeutical activity gram-positive and gram-negative cocci, mycobacteria and fungi. On the other hand garcinol has been found to be inactive against gram-negative enteric bacilli, yeasts and viruses.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents , Plants, Medicinal/analysis , Terpenes/analysis , Bacteria/drug effects , Culture Media , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Spectrophotometry, Infrared , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet , Structure-Activity Relationship , Terpenes/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Extracts prepared from 100 samples of higher plants were evaluated for antiviral activity against several viruses, including Semliki forest, coxsackie, measles, poliomyelitis, herpes, and adeno viruses. The plants were chosen from 73 genera and 43 families on the basis of literature data and medicinal reports on antimicrobial activity. The results of the antiviral testing showed that eight of these extracts exhibited a pronounced activity against one or more of the test viruses. Another three plant extracts showed a moderate level of antiviral activity against some of the test viruses.
