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Limonoids and protolimonoid from Swietenia macrophylla.
Yun-Peng Sun1, Wen-Fang Jin1, Ze-Rong Xu1
1School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Hefei, P.R. China.
Natural Product Research
|November 21, 2025
Summary
Researchers isolated new limonoids from Swietenia macrophylla leaves. Some compounds inhibited glucose production and promoted lipid accumulation, offering potential insights into metabolic regulation.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Swietenia macrophylla, a plant species, is a source of bioactive compounds.
- Limonoids are a class of terpenoids with diverse biological activities.
- Understanding the metabolic effects of plant-derived compounds is crucial for drug discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize new limonoids and protolimonoids from Swietenia macrophylla leaves.
- To investigate the effects of isolated compounds on hepatic glucose production and lipid accumulation.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
- Structure elucidation through high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
- Determination of absolute configurations using Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) calculations.
- In vitro assays using Hepatic cells (MPH cells) to assess glucose production and lipid accumulation.
Main Results:
- Two new limonoids, swieteliacates V (1) and W (2), and a new protolimonoid, 21α-ethoxyprotoxylocarpin E (3), were identified.
- Six known limonoids (4-9) were also isolated.
- Compounds 2, 6, and 9 inhibited forskolin (FSK) and dexamethasone (Dex)-induced hepatic glucose production.
- Compounds 5 and 6 promoted free fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation in MPH cells.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully identified novel limonoid and protolimonoid structures from Swietenia macrophylla.
- Specific isolated compounds demonstrate potential as modulators of hepatic glucose production and lipid metabolism.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of Swietenia macrophylla's phytochemical profile and its pharmacological potential.
