Find in Library

In continuing our investigation on the chemical diversity of Algerian plants, we examined <i>Centaurea omphalotricha</i>, whose chemical composition has been poorly studied. The present work was aimed at characterizing the secondary metabolite pattern of the CHCl₃ extract of the aerial parts of this plant that displayed antiproliferative properties in a preliminary screening on HeLa cell line. The chemical analysis led us to characterize the bioactive oxygenated terpenoid fraction which includes, within major known metabolites, two new minor sesquiterpene lactones, centaurolide-A (<b>1</b>) and centaurolide-B (<b>2</b>). The structures of two compounds exhibiting the 12,8-guaianolide skeleton were determined by spectroscopic methods as well as by chemical correlation with inuviscolide (<b>3</b>), a well-known bioactive guaianolide isolated from <i>Dittrichia</i> (=<i>Inula</i>) <i>viscosa</i>. Centaurolides A and B represent the first report of 8,12-guaianolide skeleton in <i>Centaurea</i> genus. The effect of new compounds <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> and inuviscolide (<b>3</b>) on HeLa cell has also been evaluated.