Funtulaticamide, a phytosphingosine-type ceramide from Funtumia elastica Preuss Stapf. (Apocynaceae) trunk bark with potential antileishmanial activity

Phytochemical investigations of the trunk bark extract of Funtumia elastica (Preuss) Stapf, afforded a new ceramide namely, funtulaticamide (1) along with six known compounds: funtulatine (2), methyl ursolate (3), epicatechin (4), myricetin (5), sucrose (6) and 5-hydroxypyridine-3-carboxamide (7). Their structures were determined on the basis of various spectroscopic and chemical methods, as well as comparison with literature. Compounds were mostly isolated for the first time from this plant, and no evidence could be found on a previous report of a phytosphingosine-type ceramide in the genus Funtumia. Similarly, compound 7 is isolated from the Apocynaceae family for the first time. Hence, the chemophenetic significance of isolates was briefly introduced. In addition, compound 2 exhibited a moderate activity against Leishmania donovani 1S (MHOM/SD/62/1S) with an IC50 value of 15.9 μM. [Display omitted] •A new secondary metabolite was isolated from the trunk bark of Funtumia elastica.•Five compounds reported from Funtumia genus for the first time.•Antileishmanial compounds from Funtumia elastica were isolated.•Chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds was discussed.