Planta Med 2012; 78 - P_32
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307540

Antimalarials from an Unidentified Plant Pathogenic Fungus Isolated from Torreya taxifolia

M Kumarihamy 1, 2, SI Khan 1, D Ferreira 1, 2, EM Croom Jr 3, SO Duke 4, NPD Nanayakkara 1
  • 1National Center for Natural Products Research
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677,USA
  • 3Croomia, 1509 Smallwood Dr., Oxford, MS, 38655, USA
  • 4Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, USDA-ARS, University, MS 38677, USA

As part of our program to isolate antimalarial compounds from plant pathogenic fungi, an EtOAc extract of fermentation cultures of an unidentified fungus (UM#10M) isolated from diseased leaves of the conifer Torreya taxifolia Arnott. showed potent in vitro antiplasmodial and good herbicidal activities. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the culture broth extract yielded two known cytochalasins, 19,20-epoxycytochalasin C (1) [1], 19,20-epoxycytochalasin D (2) [2], and a new analogue, 18-deoxy-19,20-epoxycytochalasin C (3) as active constituents. All three compounds showed potent antimalarial activity and phytotoxicity with no cytotoxicity against a panel of mammalian cell lines. The antimalarial activity of cytochalasins has previously been reported [3].

References: [1] Abate D, et al. (1997) Phytochemistry 44: 1443–1448. [2] Espada A, et al. (1997) Tetrahedron 53: 6485–6492. [3] Ishaka M, et al. (2000) Planta Med 66: 473–475.