Antifungal constituents of Melicope borbonica

Fractionation of extracts of the leaves of Meticope borbonica (syn. Euodia borbonica var. borbonica), a medicinal plant from the Reunion Island that is traditionally used for wound healing and other ailments, afforded an acetophenone (xanthoxylin) and two coumarins, scoparone and limettin, as the major constituents. All three compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Penicillium expansum, in accordance with the traditional use of the plant. Moreover, 2,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone (methylxanthoxylin), three other coumarins [7-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy)-6-methoxycoumarin, cedrelopsin and psoralen], two sesquiterpenes (alpha-curcumene and 3,6-epidioxy-1,10-bisaboladiene), eugenol, methyleugenol and a lignan (sesamin) were isolated. None of the isolated constituents exhibited antiinflammatory activity in vitro. No alkaloids were detected. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.