Planta Med 2012; 78 - PJ146
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1321306

Searching for iridoids from tropical plant species: Detection, isolation and potential uses as raw chiral material

M Litaudon 1, E Leborgne 1, C Remeur 1, V Dumontet 1, C Poullain 1, O Thoison 1, L Gauthier 2, R Grougnet 2, B Deguin 2, F Guéritte 1
  • 1Centre de Recherche de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS, Labex LERMIT, 1, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
  • 2Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie de l'Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, U.M.R./C.N.R.S. 8638, 4, Avenue de l'Observatoire, F-75006 Paris

Iridoid glycosides, which form a large group of cyclopentane monoterpenoids, are biosynthesized by a large number of plant species belonging to approximately 20 important botanical families. They possess a highly functionalized aglycon, which may be regarded as starting material for the synthesis of a number of new chiral molecules. For this study, approximately 500 species were selected from iridoid-containing families. A methodology, based on the combination of different analytical and spectroscopic techniques such as LC/UV/DEDL, LC/MS and NMR, was developed in order to select plants of interest. Among these, we found that the New Caledonian species Oxera coronata (Lamiaceae) produced high level of 8-O-acetylharpagide (AH) in leaves, twigs and fruits. We will present the methodology used to detect and isolate iridoids, the quantitative evaluation of AH in O. coronata, and its potential uses as raw material for semi-synthesis.

Acknowledgement: This 4-years project is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR-09-CP2D-09; IRNACHIR 2009).