New sesquiterpenoids from the root of Guatteria multivenia.

A phytochemical investigation of the CHCl(3) fraction of an ethanol extract of the root of Guatteria multivenia furnished nine compounds, of which four are sesquiterpenes (1-4) and five are alkaloids (5-9). Of the four sesquiterpenes, two are new (1, 3), named guatterin A (1) and dihydromadolin-K (3), and two are known (2, 4), identified as madolin-K (2) and madolin-W (4). The five known alkaloids were identified as liriodenine (5), lysicamine (6), lanuginosine (7), guadiscine (8), and O-methylpallidine (9). All the known compounds were isolated from this species for the first time. Structures of the new compounds were determined by extensive NMR studies, including DEPT, COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY. Compound 7 showed weak inhibitory effect against Candida albicans secreted aspartic proteases (SAP) with IC(50) of 45 microg/mL. Compound 5 was found to have antimicrobial activity against C. albicans, Cryptococcusneoformans, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRS) with IC(50)/MIC values of 3.5/6.25, 2.0/12.5, 2.0/3.13, and 2.0/3.13 microg/mL, respectively.