Triterpenes and the Antimycobacterial Activity ofDuroia macrophyllaHuber (Rubiaceae)

Daiane Martins,Daniela Fernandes Ramos,Cecilia Veronica Nunez,Kahlil Schwanka Salomé,Pedro Eduardo Almeida Da Silva,Andersson Barison,Lillian Lucas Carrion

doi:10.1155/2013/605831

Abstract

Duroia macrophylla popularly known as “cabeça-de-urubú,” “apuruí,” or “puruí-grande-da-mata” occurs in the Amazon Forest. Its leaves and branches were collected twice and extracted with dichloromethane and methanol. All extracts were subjected to phytochemical investigation and terpenes and flavonoids were found in all dichloromethane and methanol extracts, respectively. Methanol extracts from both branches (1st collection) and leaves (2nd collection) presented hydrolyzed tannins, yet alkaloids were only detected in the dichloromethane and methanol extracts from branches at the 2nd collection. Phenol compounds were found in both dichloromethane extracts' collections. The action of every extract was assayed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (RMPr, H37Rv, and INHr strains), showing that the dichloromethane extract from leaves (1st collection) has the major biological activity, with a MIC of 6.25 μg/mL for the INHr strain, 25.0 μg/mL for the RMPr strain, and ≤6.25 μg/mL for the H37Rv strain. The chromatographic fractioning of the dichloromethane extract from leaves (1st collection) yielded the isolation of two triterpenes: oleanolic and ursolic acids, which were identified by NMR analysis and reported for the first time in the Duroia genus.

Highlights

Rubiaceae is the largest family in the Magnoliopsida class, encompassing around 550 genera and 9,000 species being used in several ethnomedicinal practices [1]
D. hirsuta, which is used as folk healing medicine, is one of these species which has undergone investigation and showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium phlei [7] and antiviral activity against Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) on in vitro studies [8]
All Duroia macrophylla extracts were analyzed in order to evaluate the chemical profile [17, 18]

Summary

Introduction

Rubiaceae is the largest family in the Magnoliopsida class, encompassing around 550 genera and 9,000 species being used in several ethnomedicinal practices [1]. Dichloromethane extracts from branches and leaves in both collections showed to be rich in terpenes. 1H-NMR spectra analysis showed the presence of aromatic substances in the methanolic extract of branches (1st collection), with several signals between 6.50 and 7.80 ppm.

Results

Conclusion