A preliminary phytochemical investigation on the MeOH extract of the twigs and needles of Pseudotsuga gaussenii (a 'vulnerable' plant endemic to China) led to the isolation and characterization of 25 structurally diverse mono- and dimeric triterpenoids. 19 of them are previously undescribed, including eight cucurbitane-type triterpenoids (gaussenols A-H, 1-8, resp.), one serratene-type triterpene (gaussenol I, 9), and 10 triterpenic dimers (gaussenols J-S, 10-19, resp.). Their chemical structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic data, some chemical transformations, the modified Mosher's method, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound 9 is the first 13R diastereoisomeric serratene-type triterpenoid derivative from nature. The unprecedented dimeric triterpenoids are constructed either through ester linkage (10-18) or via ether bond (19) among the side chains of same or different types of triterpenoid skeletons (e.g., cucurbitane-type, lanostane-type, and/or cycloartane-type). Compounds 9, 15, 21, and 25 exhibited inhibitory effects against the human protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B, a potential drug target for the treatment of type-II diabetes and obesity), with IC50 values of 3.1, 8.6, 9.0, and 5.6 μM, respectively. The interactions of the bioactive compounds with PTP1B were thereafter performed by employing molecular docking studies, with binding affinities ranging from - 6.9 to - 7.3 kcal/mol. The above findings could reveal the important role of protecting plant species diversity in support of chemical diversity and potential sources of new therapeutics.
Keywords: Gaussenols; Molecular docking; Mono-/dimeric triterpenoids; PTP1B inhibition; Pinaceae; Pseudotsuga gaussenii; Rare and endangered plants.
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