Antiplasmodial benzophenone derivatives from the root barks of Symphonia globulifera (Clusiaceae)

Phytochemical investigation of Symphonia globulifera (Clusiaceae) led to the isolation of nine polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol compounds and two oxidized derivatives together with 7- epi-garcinol and 7- epi-isogarcinol. In vitro antiplasmodial assays revealed potent antimalarial activity for eleven of them. A LC/ESI-MS n study performed on polyprenylated benzophenones isolated previously provided a reliable method for their detection in the extract and structural elucidation. In an effort to find antimalarial drugs, a systematic in vitro evaluation on a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum (FcB1) was undertaken on sixty plant extracts collected in French Guiana. The ethyl acetate extract obtained from the root barks of Symphonia globulifera exhibited a strong antiplasmodial activity (97% at 10 μg/ml). The phytochemical investigation of this extract led to the isolation of nine polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol (PPAPs) compounds and two oxidized derivatives. All compounds showed antiplasmodial activity with IC 50s ranged from 2.1 to 10.1 μM. A LC/ESI-MS n study performed on polyprenylated benzophenones previously isolated from Moronobea coccinea provided a reliable method for their detection in the extract and structural elucidation.