Planta Med 2009; 75 - PD31
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1234510

UPLC/TOF-MS methodology for the on-line identification of secondary metabolites in four Scleria species (Cyperaceae): S. striatonux, S. verrucosa, S. boivinii and S. naumaniana

KD Nyongbela 1, 2, K Ndjoko Ioset 2, R Brun 3, S Wittlin 3, TR Hoye 4, D Nelson 4, J NgoHanna 1, T McAkam 1, JA Mbah 1, FL Makolo 1, C Wirmum 5, SM Efange 1, K Hostettmann 2
  • 1Pharmacochemistry Research Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Buea, P.O.Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
  • 2Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, EPGL, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
  • 3Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
  • 4Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant St., SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455 USA
  • 5Medicinal Foods & Plants, Bamenda, Cameroon

The DCM extract of the rhizome of S.striatonux exhibited IC50/IC90 values of 0.664µg/mL/1.043µg/mL (chloroquine sensitive strain D6) and 0.671µg/mL/1.147µg/mL (chloroquine resistant strain W2) of Plasmodium falciparum. Bioassay guided fractionation afforded 4 new sesquiterpenes [1]. The activity was related to one endoperoxyl derivative. Three other species of Scleria, S. bovinii, S. verrucosa and S. naumaniana were tested for their antimalarial activity on P. falciparum. Results revealed activity of Scleria boivinii IC50 4.25µg/mL (chloroquine sensitive, NF54). Combining the separation efficiency of UPLC and high resolution of TOF-MS detector, an analytical method was optimized in order to compare the metabolite profiles of crude extracts from the four Scleria species and to track compounds presenting sesquiterpene base structures.

References: [1] Nyongbela, K.D. et al. (2009) Nat. Prod. Comm., in press.

[2] Mve-Mba, C.E et al. (1996)J. Ess. Oil Res. 8:59–61.