Bioactive sesquiterpenes from the essential oil of Thuja orientalis

Planta Med. 2013 Nov;79(17):1680-4. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1350952. Epub 2013 Oct 17.

Abstract

A phytochemical investigation on the essential oil of Thuja orientalis resulted in the isolation and identification of three new sesquiterpenes, 3α-methoxy-4α-epoxythujopsane (1), Δ³,¹⁵-4β-epoxythujopsene (2), and Δ³,⁴-thujopsen-2,15-diol (3), together with eight known sesquiterpenoids (4-11). The structures of these new compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic data analyses including extensive 2D-NMR data and HR-ESIMS. The full assignments of ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts for thujopsadiene (4) were obtained by 2D-NMR for the first time. All compounds (1-11) showed antiproliferative activities against the SK-OV-3 and SK-MEL-2 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 5.85-28.64 µM. In addition, compounds 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 significantly inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV-2 cells with IC₅₀ values of 3.93-17.85 µM without cell toxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis*
  • Oils, Volatile / chemistry
  • Oils, Volatile / pharmacology
  • Oils, Volatile / therapeutic use*
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Sesquiterpenes / chemistry
  • Sesquiterpenes / isolation & purification
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology
  • Sesquiterpenes / therapeutic use*
  • Thuja / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Oils, Volatile
  • Plant Extracts
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • Nitric Oxide