Calmodulin-Targeting Molecules from Ageratina grandifolia

Four new natural chemical entities, including 2-hydroxy-α-truxillic acid (2), (3R,4S)-2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-(1-angeloyloxy)-6-acetyl-7-methoxychromane (3), N-tricosanoyltyramine (4), and grandifolamide (5), were isolated along with 11 known compounds (1, 6-15) from the aerial parts of Ageratina grandifolia. The chemical structures were elucidated using chemical derivatization and HR-MS, NMR, and DFT-calculated chemical shifts, combined with DP4+ statistical analysis. It was found that 2 decomposed into its biogenetic precursor, o-coumaric acid, upon standing at room temperature for a few weeks. 3,5-Diprenyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone (8), O-methylencecalinol (10), encecalin (11), and encecalinol (12) bound to calmodulin (CaM) with higher affinity than chlorpromazine, a well-known CaM inhibitor. Molecular dynamics studies revealed that the complexes of these compounds with CaM remained stable during the simulation. Altogether these results revealed the therapeutic and research tool potential of compounds 8, 10, 11, and 12.