A new pentacyclic triterpene with potent antibacterial activity from Limnophila indica Linn. (Druce)

• Published in: Fitoterapia 2013-10, Vol.90, p.104-111
• Main Authors: Brahmachari, Goutam, Mandal, Narayan C., Roy, Rajiv, Ghosh, Ranjan, Barman, Soma, Sarkar, Sajal, Jash, Shyamal K., Mondal, Sadhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 18-dien-29α-carboxylic acid; 3-Oxo-olean-12; aerial parts; Antibacterial activity; antibacterial properties; Bacillus subtilis; cell membranes; Escherichia coli; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; growth retardation; humans; lactic acid bacteria; Lactococcus lactis; Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis; Limnophila; Limnophila indica; Listeria monocytogenes; mechanism of action; mice; minimum inhibitory concentration; nucleic acids; Pantoea ananatis; Pentacyclic triterpene; plant pathogenic bacteria; probiotics; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; roots; Salmonella typhimurium; Scrophulariaceae; Staphylococcus aureus; toxicity; triterpenoids
• ISSN: 0367-326X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2013.07.012

A new pentacyclic triterpenoid constituent, characterized as 3-oxo-olean-12(13),18(19)-dien-29α-carboxylic acid (1) on the basis of detailed spectral studies, was isolated from the aerial parts and roots of Limnophila indica (Scrophulariaceae). Compound 1 exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria viz. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes (MICs within a range of 25–30μg/ml) and moderate activity against four Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Pantoea ananatis (MICs within a range of 30–100μg/ml). The plant pathogenic bacterium P. ananatis and human pathogenic S. typhimurium responded at comparatively higher concentrations of the compound 1, which were 75 and 100μg/ml respectively. The compound inhibited the growth of Gram-positive B. subtilis and Gram-negative P. aeruginosa completely with a clear bactericidal mode of action at their MIC values. The compound upon treatment on both B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa released substantial amount of nucleic acid in the external medium and also effected the change of morphology towards pleomorphicity, thereby indicating its probable action on cell membrane. Furthermore, the triterpenoid 1 was found not to inhibit a probiotic lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LABW4 under in vitro condition and to possess no toxicity in Swiss albino mice. [Display omitted]