Anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory active diterpene isolated from the fruit of Xylopia benthamii REFr.

Xylopia benthamii (Annonaceae) is a plant with limited phytochemical and pharmacological evidence. Thus, using LC-MS/MS, we performed exploratory analyses of the fruit extract of X. benthamii, resulting in the tentative identification of alkaloids (1-7) and diterpenes (8-13). Through the application of chromatography techniques with the extract of X. benthamii, two kaurane diterpenes were isolated, xylopinic acid (9) and ent-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (11). Their structures were established using spectroscopy (NMR 1D/2D) and mass spectrometry. The isolated compounds were submitted to anti-biofilm analysis against Acinetobacter baumannii, anti-neuroinflammatory and cytotoxic activity in BV-2 cells. Compound 11 (201.75 mu M) inhibited 35% of bacterial biofilm formation and high anti-inflammatory activity in BV-2 (IC50 = 0.78 mu M). In conclusion, the results demonstrated that compound 11 was characterized for the first time with pharmacological potential in the development of new alternatives for studies with neuroinflammatory diseases.

Automated summary

In this study, the fruit extract of Xylopia benthamii was analyzed using LC-MS/MS, resulting in the identification of 7 alkaloids and 13 diterpenes. Two kaurane diterpenes were isolated from the extract and their structures were confirmed using spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Compound 11 showed inhibitory effects on bacterial biofilm formation and strong anti-inflammatory activity in BV-2 cells. These findings suggest that compound 11 has potential for the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.