Leishmanicidal active withanolides from a pakistani medicinal plant, Withania coagulans

Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2012;60(7):892-7. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c12-00264.

Abstract

In the course of screening for leishmanicidal constituents from Asian and South American medicinal plants, a Pakistani medicinal plant, Withania coagulans, showed activity. We therefore studied the active components of the methanol extract of aerial parts of W. coagulans. From the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the extract, four new withanolides (1-4) were isolated along with seven known withanolides (5-11). The new compounds were elucidated to be (14R,15R,17S,20S,22R)-14,15,17,20-tetrahydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,5,24-trienolide (1), (14R,15R,17S,20S,22R)-14,15,17,20-tetrahydroxy-1-oxowitha-3,5,24-trienolide (2), (14S,17R,20S,22R)-14,17,20-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,5,24-trienolide (3), and (14S,17R,20S,22R)-14,17,20-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-3,5,24-trienolide (4), from 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 2D-NMR and high resolution (HR)-MS data. Some of these compounds having the partial structure 1-oxo-2,5-diene showed strong leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania major.

MeSH terms

  • Antiprotozoal Agents / chemistry*
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / isolation & purification
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology
  • Leishmania major / drug effects
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Pakistan
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry
  • Withania / chemistry*
  • Withanolides / chemistry*
  • Withanolides / isolation & purification
  • Withanolides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Withanolides