Antibacterial diterpenoids from Jatropha podagrica Hook

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• Jatropha podagrica Hook is a plant species known for its diverse chemical constituents.
• Diterpenoids are a class of natural products with a wide range of biological activities.
• Investigating the chemical profile of Jatropha species can lead to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel macrocyclic diterpenoids from the root of Jatropha podagrica Hook.
• To evaluate the antibacterial potential of the isolated compounds.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation employing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS).
• Assessment of antibacterial activity against selected gram-positive bacteria strains.

Main Results:

• Two new macrocyclic diterpenoids, japodagrin (1) and japodagrone (2), with lathyrane and jatrophane skeletons respectively, were identified.
• Four known diterpenoids (3-6) were also isolated from the plant root.
• The isolated compounds demonstrated varying degrees of antibacterial activity against tested gram-positive bacteria.

Conclusions:

• The root of Jatropha podagrica Hook is a source of novel macrocyclic diterpenoids.
• Japodagrin and japodagrone possess significant antibacterial properties, warranting further investigation for potential therapeutic applications.