Unprecedented Quassinoids with Promising Biological Activity from Harrisonia perforata

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 May 4;54(19):5592-5. doi: 10.1002/anie.201412126. Epub 2015 Mar 25.

Abstract

Perforalactone A (1), a new 20S quassinoid with a unique cagelike 2,4-dioxaadamantane ring system and a migrated side chain, was isolated from the plant Harrisonia perforata together with two biosynthetically related new quassinoids. The structures of these natural products were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, computational modeling, and the CD excitation chirality method. The compounds exhibited notable biological properties, including insecticidal activity against Aphis medicaginis Koch and antagonist activity at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of Drosophila melanogaster. The structural features of these compounds may be related to their promising biological characteristics. Their biosynthesis and an alternative origin of quassinoid-type natural products are also discussed.

Keywords: biosynthetic pathways; insecticidal activity; natural products; nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; structure elucidation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Products / chemistry
  • Biological Products / metabolism
  • Biological Products / pharmacology*
  • Coleoptera / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drosophila melanogaster / chemistry
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Insecticides / chemistry
  • Insecticides / metabolism
  • Insecticides / pharmacology*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Quassins / biosynthesis
  • Quassins / chemistry
  • Quassins / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / metabolism*
  • Simaroubaceae / chemistry*
  • Simaroubaceae / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Insecticides
  • Quassins
  • Receptors, Nicotinic