A short and facile synthesis of 2-(1Z)-(3-hydroxy-3,7-dimethylocta-1,6-dienyl)-1,4-benzenediol and 1-(3'-methoxypropanoyl)-2,4,5-trimethoxybenzene isolated from Cordia alliodora

Chemical constituents from Cordia myxa L. (Boraginaceae) and their antibacterial activity

Chemical investigation of Cordia myxa L. (Boraginaceae) resulted in the isolation of the following ten known compounds: 1-naphthaleneacetic-5-carboxy-1,2,3,4,4a,7,8,8a-octahydro-1,2,4a-trimethyl-[1S-(1α,2β, 4a,8aα)]-acid (1), hexacosanoate-1-glyceryl (2), 3β-urs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid (3), 3β-D-glucopyranosylurs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid (4), stigmasterol (5), stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), oleanolic-acid (7), 3-O-acetyl-oleanolic acid (8), betulin (9) and spinasterol-3β-O-D-glucopyranoside (10). The isolated compounds were characterised by using spectroscopic methods, 1D and 2D NMR, mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) and by comparison with the literature data. To the best of our knowledge, compounds 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 were isolated for the first time from the Cordia genus. This result improves the chemotaxonomy knowledge of the Cordia genus. The antibacterial activities were performed by the Muller-Hinton agar diffusion method. The antibacterial activities were studied on Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Compounds 8 and 9, at 20.0 mg/mL resulted to be effective antimicrobial against E. coli, V. cholerae and P. aeruginosa.

In Silico Molecular Studies of Antiophidic Properties of the Amazonian Tree Cordia nodosa Lam

We carried out surveys on the use of Cordia nodosa Lam. in the jungles of Bobonaza (Ecuador). We documented this knowledge to prevent its loss under the Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol. We conducted bibliographic research and identified quercetrin as a significant bioactive molecule. We studied its in silico biological activity. The selected methodology was virtual docking experiments with the proteins responsible for the venomous action of snakes. The molecular structures of quercetrin and 21 selected toxins underwent corresponding tests with SwissDock and Chimera software. The results point to support its antiophidic use. They show reasonable geometries and a binding free energy of -7 to -10.03 kcal/mol. The most favorable values were obtained for the venom of the Asian snake Naja atra (5Z2G, -10.03 kcal/mol). Good results were also obtained from the venom of the Latin American Bothrops pirajai (3CYL, -9.71 kcal/mol) and that of Ecuadorian Bothrops asper snakes (5TFV, -9.47 kcal/mol) and Bothrops atrox (5TS5, -9.49 kcal/mol). In the 5Z2G and 5TS5 L-amino acid oxidases, quercetrin binds in a pocket adjacent to the FAD cofactor, while in the myotoxic homologues of PLA2, 3CYL and 5TFV, it joins in the hydrophobic channel formed when oligomerizing, in the first one similar to α-tocopherol. This study presents a case demonstration of the potential of bioinformatic tools in the validation process of ethnobotanical phytopharmaceuticals and how in silico methods are becoming increasingly useful for sustainable drug discovery.