Hydroxylation of the diterpenes ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic and ent-beyer-15-en-19-oic acids by the fungus Aspergillus niger

Phytochemistry. 2009 Dec;70(17-18):2017-22. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.09.005. Epub 2009 Oct 6.

Abstract

The diterpenes ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (1) and ent-beyer-15-en-19-oic acid (2) are the major constituents of a spasmolytic diterpenic mixture obtained from the roots of Viguiera hypargyrea, a Mexican medicinal plant. Microbial transformation of 1 and 2 was performed with Aspergillus niger. Two metabolites, ent-7alpha,11beta-dihydroxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (4) and ent-1beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (5), were isolated from the incubation of 1, and one metabolite, ent-1beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-beyer-15-en-19-oic acid (6), was isolated in high yield (40%) from 2. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses and confirmed by X-ray crystallographic studies. Compounds 1-4 and 6 and methyl ester derivatives 4a and 6a were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the electrically induced contraction of guinea-pig ileum. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 4a and 5 were significantly active. These results showed that dihydroxylation of 1 at 7beta, 11alpha-, and 1alpha, 7beta-positions resulted in a loss of potency.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aspergillus niger / metabolism*
  • Asteraceae / chemistry*
  • Biotransformation
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Diterpenes / metabolism*
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Hydroxylation
  • Ileum / drug effects
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Molecular Structure
  • Muscle, Smooth / drug effects
  • Parasympatholytics / metabolism
  • Parasympatholytics / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / metabolism*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Roots

Substances

  • Diterpenes
  • Parasympatholytics
  • Plant Extracts
  • beyerenoic acid
  • kaurenoic acid