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Antimicrobial and cytotoxic abietane diterpenoids from the roots of Meriandera benghalensis (Roxb.) Benth
R. A. A. Mothana 1, R. Jansen 2, R. Gruenert 3, P. J. Bednarski 3, U. Lindequist 4
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sana'a-University, P.O. Box 33039, Sana'a, Yemen, Email: r_mothana@yahoo.com
2 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Research Group Microbial Drugs, Braunschweig, Germany
3 Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany
4 Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany
Abstract
Four abietane diterpenoids were isolated from the methanolic extract of the roots of Meriandera benghalensis and tested for their biological activity. Cryptotanshinone (2) and 17-hydroxycryptotanshinone (4) are known metabolites however the occurrence of tanshinone IIA (1) and przewaquinone A (3) from Meriandera benghalensisis reported for the first time. The four diterpenoids were identified by MS and one- and two dimensional NMR experiments. The isolated compounds were tested for their in vitro antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines (a lung cancer (A-427), a urinary bladder cancer (5637) and a breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line) and for their antibacterial effect against three Gram-positive bacterial strains. All four abietanes showed potent cytotoxic effect against all cancer cell lines (IC50 between 1 and 8 μM) as well as antibacterial effect against the bacteria tested (MIC values between 33 and 70 μM).