Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Hilmi 2002
Hilmi 2002
Using cytotoxicity against the KB cancer cell line (ATCC CCL17) as a lead, bioactivity-guided fractionation
of the MeOH-soluble part of the DCM extract of Warionia saharae leaves led to the isolation of six new
cytotoxic guaianolide type sesquiterpene lactones (1-6). Besides two guaianolides showing the common
6,7-trans fused lactone ring (3 and 4), four compounds exhibiting the more rare 6,7-cis configuration (1,2
and 5,6) were also isolated. Compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6 showed an unprecedented ether bridge between
C-2 and C-4. The structures were deduced from extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, DQF-
COSY, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY), as well as mass spectrometry (EI and HR-MALDI). Cytotoxicity testing
against the KB cancer cell line revealed IC50 values of 1.0 (1), 4.5 (2), 1.7 (3), 2.0 (4), 3.3 (5), and 5.5 (6)
µg/mL.
The leaves of Warionia saharae Benth. & Coss. (Aster- six CH, and six quaternary carbons (see Table 2). This
aceae), an endemic shrub from Morocco and South Oran corresponds to the molecular formula C20H26O5, in agree-
in Algeria, are used for their anti-inflammatory and ment with a molecular peak at m/z 346 [M]+ in low-
gastrointestinal properties.1 An earlier phytochemical study resolution EIMS and a pseudomolecular ion at m/z 369.176
on W. saharae focused on the main components of the [M + Na]+ in the HR-MALDI spectrum. The 13C NMR
essential oil and led to the isolation of eudesmol, linalool, spectrum indicated the presence of a R-methylene-γ-lactone
and nerolidol.2 moiety, which showed signals at δC 171.2 (s, C-12), δC 141.0
(s, C-11), δC 118.5 (t, C-13), δC 82.8 (d, C-6), and δC 55.0
Results and Discussion (d, C-7). An additional carbonyl carbon resonating at δC
The MeOH-soluble part of the DCM extract afforded four 178.1 (s, C-1′) pointed to an ester moiety. Quaternary
new 6,7-cis- (1,2 and 5,6) and two new 6,7-trans-configured carbons at δC 143.3 (s, C-10) and δC 133.7 (s, C-1) confirmed
guaianolides (3 and 4). The 13C NMR spectrum of com- the presence of another double bond, and carbons resonat-
ing at δC 76.0 (d, C-3), δC 65.5 (s, C-4), and δC 65.6 (d, C-2)
indicated three further oxygen substitutions (see Table 2).
The 1H and 1H,1H-COSY spectra displayed the typical
signals and correlations of an oxygen-substituted guaiano-
lide type sesquiterpene lactone (see Table 1).3,4 Two
doublets at δH 6.07 (d, J ) 2.9 Hz, H-13a) and 5.51 (d, J )
2.3 Hz, H-13b) coupled with a proton at δH 2.92 (m, H-7)
and belong to the exomethylene group. H-7 showed ad-
ditional couplings with methylene protons at δH 2.15 and
1.35 (each m, H-8a and b) and a methine proton at δH 3.78
(t, J ) 10.3 Hz, H-6). HSQC and HMBC experiments were
extensively utilized to complete the assignments of all 1H
and 13C signals of the guaianolide skeleton, and especially
HMBC correlations between H-2 (δH 3.65, br s) and C-4
(δC 65.5, s) as well as between C-2 (δC 65.6, d) and H3-15
(δH 1.60, s) established the C-2-O-C-4 ether bridge.
Remaining proton signals at δH 2.43 (dd, J ) 7.0, 13.9 Hz,
H-2′), 1.69 (m, H-3′a), 1.49 (m, H-3′b), 1.17 (d, J ) 7.0, H3-
5′), and 0.93 (t, J ) 7.4, H3-4′) were indicative of a
2-methylbutyryl substituent, confirmed by the 13C NMR
and 2D NMR experiments. NMR data were supported by
the EIMS spectrum showing intensive fragments at m/z
57 [C4H9]+, 85 [C5H9O]+, 261 [M - C5H9O]+, and 289 [M -
C4H9]+. A strong cross-peak between C-1′ (δC 178.1, s) and
H-3 (δH 5.71, br s) in HMBC confirmed the acylation with
2-methylbutyric acid at 3-OH. β-Orientation of the C-2-
pound 1 exhibited 20 carbon signals, which were sorted O-C-4 ether bridge and the acylated 3-hydroxy group as
by DEPT 90 and 135 experiments into four CH3, four CH2, well as the cis-configuration of the lactone ring were
deduced from a ROESY experiment. NOEs were observed
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +41 1 635 6049. between H-6 and H-7, H-5 and H-7, and H-3a and H-5, as
Fax: +41 1 635 6882. E-mail: heilmann@pharma.ethz.ch. well as between H3-15 and H-6.
10.1021/np0104222 CCC: $22.00 © 2002 American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy
Published on Web 03/19/2002
524 Journal of Natural Products, 2002, Vol. 65, No. 4 Hilmi et al.
istry, ETH Zurich) for recording mass spectra, as well as Dr. (6) Rahman, A.-u.; Ahmad, V. U. Monoterpenes and Sesquiterpenes;
E. Zass (Institute of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich) for Plenum Press: New York, 1992.
(7) Anderson, G. D.; McEwen, R. S.; Herz, W. Tetrahedron Lett. 1972,
performing literature searches. 43, 4423.
(8) Beauhaire, J.; Fourrey, J. L.; Lallemand, J. Y.; Vuilhorgne, M.
References and Notes Tetrahedron Lett. 1981, 24, 2269.
(1) Bellkhadar, J. La Pharmacopée Marocaine Traditionelle; Médicine (9) Greene, A. E.; Edgar, M. T. J. Org. Chem. 1989, 54, 1468.
arabe ancienne et savoirs populaires; IBIS Press: 1997; p 213. (10) Winkelmann, K.; Heilmann, J.; Zerbe, O.; Rali, T.; Sticher, O. J. Nat.
(2) Ramaut, J. L.; Hofimger, M.; Dimbi, R.; Corvisier, M.; Lewalle, J. Prod. 2000, 63, 104.
Chromatographia 1985, 20, 193. (11) Quadri-Spinelli, T.; Heilmann, J.; Rali, T.; Sticher, O. Planta Med.
(3) Sigstad, E. E.; Catalán, C. A. N., Gutiérrez, A. B.; Diaz, J. G.; 2000, 26, 728.
Goedken, V. L.; Herz, W. Phytochemistry 1991, 30, 1933. (12) Ankli, A.; Heilmann, J.; Heinrich, M.; Sticher, O. Phytochemistry
(4) Bohlmann, F.; Zdero, C. Phytochemistry 1982, 21, 2543. 2000, 54, 531.
(5) Todorova, M. N.; Krasteva, M. L.; Markova, M. M.; Tsankova, E. T.;
Taskova, R. ML.; Peev, D. R. Phytochemistry 1998, 49, 2371. NP0104222