Abstract
Vellozia gigantea is a rare, ancient, and endemic neotropical plant present in the Brazilian Rupestrian grasslands. The dichloromethane extract of V. gigantea adventitious roots was phytotoxic against Lactuca sativa, Agrostis stolonifera, and Lemna paucicostata, and showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. Phytotoxicity bioassay-directed fractionation of the extract revealed one new isopimaradiene, 8(9),15-isopimaradien-1,3,7,11-tetraone, and three new cleistanthane diterpenoids, 7-oxo-8,11,13-cleistanthatrien-3-ol, 3,20-epoxy-7-oxo-8,11,13-cleistanthatrien-3-ol, and 20-nor-3,7-dioxo-1,8,11,13-cleistanthatetraen-10-ol. These new structures are proposed based on interpretation of 1H, 13C, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC NMR data. 8(9),15-isopimaradien-1,3,7,11-tetraone was especially phytotoxic with an IC50 value (30 μM) comparable to those of commercial herbicides clomazone, EPTC, and naptalam. In addition, 7-oxo-8,11,13-cleistanthatrien-3-ol provided 100% mortality at a concentration of 125 ppm against one-day-old Ae. aegypti larvae. Our results show that ancient and unique plants, like the endangered narrowly endemic neotropical species V. gigantea present in the Rupestrian grasslands, should also be protected because they can be sources of new bioactive compounds.
Highlights
Brazil has a rich biodiversity of plant species, which includes rare and endemic taxa
The Espinhaço mountain range is located in eastern Brazil, extending approximately 1000 km in a north–south direction, and is part of the Biosphere Reserve [4]
Brazilian Rupestrian grasslands comprise more than plant species, in an area corresponding to 0.78% of its national territory
Summary
Brazil has a rich biodiversity of plant species, which includes rare and endemic taxa. Among the typical biomes from Brazil, the Espinhaço mountain range has the Rupestrian grasslands (“campo rupestre”) that shelter different plant species with a high richness of endemism [1,2,3]. The Espinhaço mountain range is located in eastern Brazil (in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia), extending approximately 1000 km in a north–south direction, and is part of the Biosphere Reserve [4]. The diversity of plant lineages present in the Rupestrian grasslands occurred before the diversification of lowland Brazilian savanna (“cerrado”), suggesting that it may be the most ancient open vegetation in eastern South America [5]. Among the endemic plants of the Espinhaço mountain range, the members of the family Brazilian Rupestrian grasslands comprise more than plant species (about 15% of Brazilian plant diversity), in an area corresponding to 0.78% of its national territory.
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