Planta Med 2009; 75 - PD14
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1234493

HPLC-profiling for antiplasmodial compounds –3-methoxycarpachromene from Pistacia atlantica

M Adams 1, I Plitzko 1, M Kaiser 2, R Brun 2, M Hamburger 1
  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
  • 2Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland

In the course of a medium throughput screen of 640 plant extracts for antimalarial activity [1] an ethyl acetate extract of Pistacia atlantica DC. (Anacardiaceae) was active. With analytical scale time-based HPLC separation and testing for antiplasmodial activity in combination with hyphenated methods (HPLC-PDA, -MSn, HR-MS, off line microprobe NMR) the active substance was identified. After isolation, assignment of the 1H and 13C NMR resonances were carried out by extensive analysis of its NMR spectra and the spectra of its acetylated derivative. The new antiplasmodial flavonoid 3-methoxy carpachromene had an IC50 of 3.4µM towards Plasmodium falciparum K1 strain was identified. In a cytotoxicity assay using rat skeletal myoblasts (L-6 cells) it had an IC50 of 21.9µM. This compound is amongst the most potent antiplasmodial flavanoids reported so far and is chemotaxonomically quite unusual for the Anacardiaceae family.

References: [1] Kunert, O. et al. (2008) Phytochem. Lett. 1:171–174.