A new lignan, 3,4,5'-trimethoxy-3',4'-methylenedioxy-7,9':7',9 diepoxylignan (1) (6-[4-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-tetrahydro-furo[3,4-c.]furan-1-yl]-4-methoxy-benzo[ ] dioxole) together with two known lignans, 7'-epi.-sesartemin (2) and diayangambin (3), and a known flavonoid, 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (4), were isolated from the leaves of Piper fimbriulatum. C. DC. Their structures were assigned by a combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques. 7'-epi.-Sesartemin (2) showed the highest larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti. (LC100 17.6 µg/ml) and weak antiplasmodial (IC50 7.0 µg/ml) and antitrypanosomal (IC50 39.0 µg/ml) activities. None of the compounds was active against Leishmania mexicana..
Keywords: Aedes aegypti; Piper fimbriulatum; Plasmodium falciparum; lignan.