Furanocoumarins from Dorstenia foetida.

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy
• Phytochemistry

Background:

• Dorstenia foetida (Moraceae) is a plant species with potential medicinal properties.
• Furanocoumarins and coumarin derivatives are classes of natural compounds known for diverse biological activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize chemical constituents from the leaves of Dorstenia foetida.
• To investigate the biological activities of the extracts and isolated compounds.

Main Methods:

• Extraction and isolation of compounds from Dorstenia foetida leaves.
• Structure elucidation using spectroscopic methods, including Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS).
• In vitro testing for antifungal, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and anthelminthic activities.

Main Results:

• Isolation of four new linear furanocoumarins and one new coumarin derivative.
• Identification of known compounds: psoralen, bergapten, isopimpinellin, phellopterin, 5-methoxychalepensin, and turbinatocoumarin.
• Nonpolar extracts demonstrated significant antifungal, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities, but no anthelminthic activity was observed.

Conclusions:

• Dorstenia foetida is a rich source of diverse furanocoumarins and coumarin derivatives.
• The nonpolar extracts possess antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties, warranting further investigation for therapeutic potential.
• The absence of anthelminthic activity suggests specific mechanisms of action for the observed bioactivities.