New C9-polyacetylenes from the essential oil of the highly endangered species Baccharis palustris Heering (Asteraceae)

Abstract

The essential oil composition of the aerial parts from Baccharis palustris Heering (Asteraceae), a highly endangered species, was analyzed by GC/qMS, GC/HRMS-TOF, FT-IR, UV–vis and NMR spectroscopy using 1D and 2D techniques. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the essential oil composition of B. palustris, as well as the first phytochemical study on this plant species. The volatile extracts were obtained from different phenologicals stages of plant, at flowering stage (FS) and vegetative stage (VS), where 51 components were identified accounting for 96.3 % and 99.0 % of the oil, respectively. The oil was rich in polyacetylene compounds (> 75 %), being the main components identified the new natural C9-polyacetylenes 1-nonene-3,5-diyne (1, here named as baccharisdiyne) (52.7–65.0 %), 1,7(Z)-nonadiene-3,5-diyne [2, 7(Z)-dehydro-baccharisdiyne] (14.4–17.8 %), and 1,7(E)-nonadiene-3,5-diyne [3, 7(E)-dehydro-baccharisdiyne] (1.5–2.4 %). In addition, the known polyacetylenic compounds (Z)-lachnophyllum acid methyl ester (4) (4.3–5.3 %) and (E)-lachnophyllum acid methyl ester (5) (0.2 %) were also identified. Moreover, GC/qMS analysis allowed the identification of other 46 components in the essential oil samples, mainly mono- and sesquiterpenoids. In B. palustris, C9-polyacetylenes probably derive biogenetically from a C10 precursor: baccharisdiyne (1) would be derived from either or both lachnophyllum methyl ester geometric isomers (4 or 5), by enzymatic hydrolysis followed by decarboxylation. Dehydro-baccharisdiynes (2 and 3) could be produced by a similar pathway starting from the corresponding matricaria acid methyl ester isomers, one of which was tentatively identified at trace-level in B. palustris essential oil.