Angeloylated Germacranolides from Daucus virgatus and Their Plasmodium Transmission Blocking Activity

J Nat Prod. 2017 Oct 27;80(10):2787-2794. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00603. Epub 2017 Oct 4.

Abstract

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of the Tunisian plant Daucus virgatus led to the isolation of eight new germacranolides named daucovirgolides A-H (1-8). The stereostructures of these sesquiterpene lactones, decorated by either one or two angeloyl groups, have been determined by a combination of MS, NMR spectroscopy, chemical derivatization, and comparison of experimental electronic circular dichroism curves with TDDFT-predicted data. Daucovirgolide G (7) proved to be the single member of this family to possess a marked inhibitory activity (92% at 50 μg/mL) on the development of Plasmodium early sporogonic stages, the nonpathogenic transmissible stages of malaria parasites, devoid of general cytotoxicity. The selective activity of daucovirgolide G points to the existence of strict structural requirements for this transmission-blocking activity and therefore of a well-defined, although yet unidentified, biological target.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimalarials / chemistry
  • Antimalarials / isolation & purification*
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Apiaceae / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Plant Components, Aerial / chemistry*
  • Plasmodium / drug effects
  • Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane / chemistry
  • Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane / isolation & purification*
  • Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane / pharmacology*
  • Tunisia

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane
  • daucovirgolide G
  • germacranolide