Dracontium loretense Engl.: A rich source of novel lipids

Dracontium loretense Engl. (Araceae), a plant widely distributed in the Peruvian Amazon, is known as „jergón sacha“. The infusion obtained from the corms of D. loretense is traditionally used in the Peruvian folk medicine to enhance immune function and as antiulcer treatment. It is used together with the extract of Uncaria tomentosa by AIDS patients to reinforce their immune system. Additionally, the corm poultice is used to the treatment of cancer [1]. No phytochemical study on D. loretense has been reported, although this plant has shown an upsurge on the international phytotherapeutic market, where it is provided as dried powder, tincture, alcoholic, and aqueous-alcoholic preparations.

Extensive spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR experiments, in combination with electrospray ionisation multistage ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI/ITMSn) and gas-chromatography mass spectrometry analyses, led to the structural characterization of twenty-seven lipid compounds, mainly belonging to sphingolipid, galactolipid, fatty acid and phospholipid classes. In particular PFG-HETLOC experiment and the J-based method have been used to solve problems of relative configurational assignment. Several novel lipid compounds were identified, among which four ceramides, one cerebroside, and five unsaturated polyhydroxylated fatty acids related to the oxylipin.

Moreover, the isolated compounds were evaluated for their effects in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The results show the ability to stimulate the proliferation of the human PBMC and potentially the immune response.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Programme Alßan, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America, scholarship No.E05D057186PE.

References: 1. Brack Egg, A. (1999) Diccionario Enciclopedico de Plantas utiles del Perú. Centro de Estudios Regionales Andinos Bartolome de las Casas. Cuzco, Peru.