Flemingin-Type Prenylated Chalcones from the Sarawak Rainforest Plant Desmodium congestum

J Nat Prod. 2015 Aug 28;78(8):2141-4. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00410. Epub 2015 Aug 18.

Abstract

In an ongoing program to identify new anti-infective leads, an extract derived from whole plant material of Desmodium congestum collected in the Sarawak rainforest was found to have anti-MRSA activity. Bioassay-guided isolation led to the isolation of two new prenylated chalcones, 5'-O-methyl-3-hydroxyflemingin A (1) and 5'-O-methylflemingin C (2), which were closely related to the flemingins previously isolated from various Flemingia species. Chalcones 1 and 2, which were determined to be 4:6 enantiomeric mixtures by chiral HPLC, exhibited moderate activity against a panel of Gram-positive bacteria and were also cytotoxic to the HEK293 human embryonic kidney cell line.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chalcones / chemistry
  • Chalcones / isolation & purification*
  • Chalcones / pharmacology
  • Fabaceae / chemistry
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Malaysia
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Prenylation
  • Rainforest

Substances

  • Chalcones