Planta Med 2003; 69(5): 468-470
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-39713
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Antimicrobial Diterpenes from the Seeds of Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. drupacea

Matteo Politi1 , Alessandra Braca1 , Nunziatina De Tommasi2 , Ivano Morelli1 , Antonio Manunta3 , Lucia Battinelli4 , Gabriela Mazzanti4
  • 1Dipartimento di Chimica Bioorganica e Biofarmacia, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
  • 2Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fisciano (SA), Italy
  • 3Istituto di Botanica e Orto Botanico, Università degli Studi di Urbino, Urbino, Italy
  • 4Dipartimento di Farmacologia delle Sostanze Naturali e Fisiologia Generale, Università degli Studi di Roma ”La Sapienza”, Roma, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

Received: September 27, 2002

Accepted: January 25, 2003

Publication Date:
12 June 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Six diterpenes, including two new natural products, were isolated from the seeds of Cephalotaxus harringtonia. The new metabolites were characterised as 8β-hydroxy-9(11),13-abietadien-12-one and 5,6-didehydroferruginol, while the known compounds were identified as ferruginol, sugiol, 6,12-dihydroxyabieta-5,8,11,13-tetraen-7-one, and abieta-8,11,13-trien-7β-ol. These compounds were studied in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against clinically isolated bacteria and Candida strains. Ferruginol and 6,12-dihydroxyabieta-5,8,11,13-tetraen-7-one showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. None of the six diterpenes was active against the Gram-negative organisms and yeasts tested.

References

Prof. Gabriela Mazzanti

Dipartimento di Farmacologia delle Sostanze Naturali e Fisiologia Generale

Università di Roma ”La Sapienza”

Piazzale Aldo Moro 5

00185 Roma

Italy

Fax: +39-06-49912480

Email: gabriela.mazzanti@uniroma1.it