Volatiles metabolites from the liverwort Plagiochila porelloides harvested in Corsica were investigated by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. In addition to already reported constituents, three new compounds were isolated by preparative chromatography and their structures were elucidated by mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR experiments. Hence, an atypic aliphatic compound, named 1,2-dihydro-4,5-dehydronerolidol and two isomers, (E) and (Z), possessing an unusual humbertiane skeleton (called p-menth-1-en-3-[2-methylbut-1-enyl]-8-ol) are newly reported and fully characterized in this work. The in vitro antiprotozoal activity of essential oil and extract of P. porelloides against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Leishmania mexicana mexicana and cytotoxicity were determined. Essential oil and Et2O extract showed a moderate activity against T. brucei with IC50 values: 2.03 and 5.18 μg/mL, respectively. It is noteworthy that only the essential oil showed a high selectivity (SI = 11.7). Diethyl oxide extract exhibited moderate anticancer (cancerous macrophage-like murine cells) activity and also cytotoxicity (human normal fibroblast) with IC50 values: 1.25 and 2.96 μg/mL, respectively.
Keywords: antiprotozoal; bryophytes; farnesane; humbertiane; plagiochila porelloides; sesquiterpenes.