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New bioactive steroidal alkaloids from Buxus hyrcana
Zaheer Uddin Babar1, Athar Ata, Mohammad Hadi Meshkatalsadat
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2E9.
Steroids
|October 20, 2006
Summary
Two novel steroidal alkaloids from Buxus hyrcana were identified, alongside known compounds. All six compounds demonstrated significant acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activity, suggesting potential therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Natural Products Chemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
Background:
- Buxus species are a rich source of steroidal alkaloids with diverse biological activities.
- Steroidal alkaloids, particularly those from Buxus, are known for their complex structures and potential pharmacological properties.
- The isolation of novel compounds from plant sources contributes to the discovery of new therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phytochemical constituents of the methanolic extract of Buxus hyrcana.
- To isolate and characterize new steroidal alkaloids from Buxus hyrcana.
- To evaluate the acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds.
Main Methods:
- Phytochemical investigation of the crude methanolic extract of Buxus hyrcana.
- Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
- Structure elucidation of new and known compounds utilizing extensive Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic studies.
- In vitro assay to determine acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activity.
Main Results:
- Two new steroidal alkaloids, (+)-O6-buxafurandiene (1) and (+)-7-deoxy-O6-buxafurandiene (2), were isolated and characterized.
- Four known steroidal bases, (+)-benzoylbuxidienine (3), (+)-buxapapillinine (4), (+)-buxaquamarine (5), and (+)-irehine (6), were also identified.
- Compounds 1 and 2 represent a rare class of Buxus alkaloids incorporating a tetrahydrofuran ring.
- All isolated compounds (1-6) exhibited acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activity.
Conclusions:
- The phytochemical analysis of Buxus hyrcana led to the discovery of two novel steroidal alkaloids.
- The isolated compounds, including the new ones, possess significant acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory potential.
- These findings highlight Buxus hyrcana as a valuable source for discovering bioactive natural products with potential applications in treating neurological disorders associated with acetylcholinesterase activity.
