Terpenoidal constituents of Eucalyptus loxophleba ssp. lissophloia

UPLC-PDA-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS profiling of the lipophilic compounds product isolated from Eucalyptus viminalis plants

The lipophilic compounds product (LCP), which was isolated and purified from Eucalyptus viminalis plants, has shown earlier broad antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. To study secondary compounds responsible for the pharmacological activities, chemical composition of the LCP was studied with application of ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with photodiode array detector and high-resolution Q Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC-PDA-HRMS/MS). There were found thirty two compounds: twenty phloroglucinol derivatives (isopentyl diformyl phloroglucinol, macrocarpals, sideroxylonals, etc.), eight ursane type triterpenoids (loxanic acid, dehydroursolic acid lactone, dehydroursolic acid lactone acetate, two isomers of p-coumaroyl-dehydroursolic acid lactone and two isomers of feruloyl-dehydroursolic acid lactone), sequiterpenoid (S)-β-macrocarpene and three unknown phenolics. The major compounds of the LCP were pharmacologically active macrocarpals A and B, dehydroursolic acid lactone and its derivatives. It is supposed that previously discovered antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of the LCP is due to the high contents of these secondary compounds.

Anti-Infectivity against Herpes Simplex Virus and Selected Microbes and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Compounds Isolated from Eucalyptus globulus Labill

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes numerous mild-to-serious human diseases, including mucocutaneous herpes infections and life-threatening herpes encephalitis. Moreover, herpes viral lesions can be complicated by inflammation and secondary bacterial infections. The development of resistance to antiviral drugs along with the undesirable side effects of these drugs are relevant argue for the development of new anti-HSV drugs with diverse mechanisms of action. Eucalyptus extracts have been used for decades to combat various infectious diseases. We isolated and studied 12 pure compounds and one mixture of two constitutional isomers from the leaves and twigs of E. globulus. The structures were identified by spectroscopic methods (NMR, HR-MS, IR) and all of them were tested for antiherpetic activity against the replication of antigen types HSV-1 and HSV-2. Tereticornate A (12) (IC₅₀: 0.96 μg/mL; selectivity index CC₅₀/IC₅₀: 218.8) showed the strongest activity in the anti-HSV-1 assay, even greater than acyclovir (IC₅₀: 1.92 μg/mL; selectivity index CC₅₀/IC₅₀: 109.4), a standard antiviral drug. Cypellocarpin C (5) (EC₅₀: 0.73 μg/mL; selectivity index CC₅₀/EC₅₀: 287.7) showed the most potent anti-HSV-2 activity, also more intensive than acyclovir (EC₅₀: 1.75 μg/mL; selectivity index CC₅₀/EC₅₀: 120.0). The antimicrobial activity of the isolated compounds was also evaluated against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the yeast Candida albicans. The anti-inflammatory potential was examined using LPS-stimulated THP-1-XBlue™-MD2-CD14 and THP-1 macrophages and focusing on the influences of the NF-κB/AP-1 activity and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α.

Antimicrobial activity of oleanolic and ursolic acids: an update

Triterpenoids are the most representative group of phytochemicals, as they comprise more than 20,000 recognized molecules. These compounds are biosynthesized in plants via squalene cyclization, a C30 hydrocarbon that is considered to be the precursor of all steroids. Due to their low hydrophilicity, triterpenes were considered to be inactive for a long period of time; however, evidence regarding their wide range of pharmacological activities is emerging, and elegant studies have highlighted these activities. Several triterpenic skeletons have been described, including some that have presented with pentacyclic features, such as oleanolic and ursolic acids. These compounds have displayed incontestable biological activity, such as antibacterial, antiviral, and antiprotozoal effects, which were not included in a single review until now. Thus, the present review investigates the potential use of these triterpenes against human pathogens, including their mechanisms of action, via in vivo studies, and the future perspectives about the use of compounds for human or even animal health are also discussed.

Triterpenoids

This review covers the isolation and structure determination of triterpenoids reported during 2012 including squalene derivatives, lanostanes, holostanes, cycloartanes, cucurbitanes, dammaranes, euphanes, tirucallanes, tetranortriterpenoids, quassinoids, lupanes, oleananes, friedelanes, ursanes, hopanes, serratanes, isomalabaricanes and saponins; 348 references are cited.

In vitro antiprotozoal activity of triterpenoid constituents of Kleinia odora growing in Saudi Arabia

Two lupane and four ursane triterpenes, namely epilupeol (1), lupeol acetate (2), ursolic acid (3), brein (4), 3β 11α-dihydroxy urs-12-ene (5) and ursolic acid lactone (6) were isolated from aerial parts of Kleinia odora and identified. Compounds 1 and 3–6 were isolated for the first time from K. odora. The triterpene constituents were investigated for antiprotozoal potential against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. Cytotoxicity was determined against MRC-5 fibroblasts to assess selectivity. The ursane triterpenes were found to be active against more than one type of the tested parasites, with the exception of compound 6. This is also the first report on the occurrence of ursane type triterpenes in the genus Kleinia and their antiprotozoal potential against P. falciparum, L. infantum, T. cruzi, and T. brucei.