Five new sesquiterpenoids from Dalbergia odorifera

Area of Science:

• Natural Products Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Phytochemistry

Background:

• Dalbergia odorifrea (Fabaceae) is a plant species known for its rich chemical constituents.
• Sesquiterpenes are a class of naturally occurring organic compounds derived from isoprene units, often exhibiting diverse biological activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize new and known sesquiterpenes from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifrea.
• To evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the isolated compounds against pathogenic microorganisms.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of secondary metabolites from Dalbergia odorifrea heartwood.
• Purification of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation of isolated compounds utilizing Mass Spectrometry (MS), Ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (1D and 2D).
• Antimicrobial activity testing using the paper disk diffusion method.

Main Results:

• Five novel sesquiterpenes, designated compounds 1-5, were successfully isolated.
• Ten known sesquiterpenes were also identified from the same plant source.
• Compounds 1 and 9 demonstrated inhibitory effects against Candida albicans.
• Compound 9 exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions:

• The heartwood of Dalbergia odorifrea is a source of structurally diverse sesquiterpenes.
• The isolated sesquiterpenes possess notable antimicrobial properties, particularly against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus.
• Compound 9 shows promise as a potential lead for developing new antimicrobial agents.