A new sesquiterpenoid from the rhizomes of Homalomena sagittifolia

A new sesquiterpenoid, 1 alpha,4 beta,7 beta -eudesmanetriol (1), was isolated together with the known compounds 1 beta,4 beta,7 beta -eudesmanetriol (2) and oplopanone (3) from the rhizomes of Homalomena sagittifolia. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectral analyses. The compounds 1 and 2 inhibited growth of Pseudomonas stutzeri with a MIC value of 117 mu M when evaluated for antibacterial activity using the minimum concentration assay. Both these compounds showed remarkable activities against acetylcholinesterase enzyme with IC50 values ranging between 25 and 26 mu M. The isolation of these sesquiterpenoids and their biological activities observed in this study support the reported traditional uses of H. sagittifolia for the treatment of microbial related diseases and central nervous system disorders.