Marchantin A, a macrocyclic bisbibenzyl ether, isolated from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, inhibits protozoal growth in vitro

Sophie Jensen, Sesselja Omarsdottir, Angela Gono Bwalya, Morten Agertoug Nielsen, Deniz Tasdemir, Elin Soffia Olafsdottir

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In vitro anti-plasmodial activity-guided fractionation of a diethyl ether extract of the liverwort species Marchantia polymorpha, collected in Iceland, led to isolation of the bisbibenzyl ether, marchantin A. The structure of marchantin A (1) was confirmed by NMR and HREIMS. Marchantin A inhibited proliferation of the Plasmodium falciparum strains, NF54 (IC50 = 3.41 μM) and K1 (IC50 = 2.02 μM) and showed activity against other protozoan species Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, T. cruzi and Leishmania donovani with IC50 values 2.09, 14.90 and 1.59 μM, respectively. Marchantin A was tested against three recombinant enzymes (PfFabI, PfFabG and PfFabZ) of the PfFAS-II pathway of P. falciparum for malaria prophylactic potential and showed moderate inhibitory activity against PfFabZ (IC 50 = 18.18 μM). In addition the cytotoxic effect of marchantin A was evaluated. This is the first report describing the inhibitory effects of the liverwort metabolite marchantin A against these parasites in vitro.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1191-1195
Number of pages5
JournalPhytomedicine
Volume19
Issue number13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Oct 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: The authors are grateful to Sigridur Jonsdottir, Science Institute, University of Iceland, for recording the NMR spectra, Dr. Nils Nyberg and Dorte Brix, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, for HREIMS and anti-plasmodial measurements. Financial support by The Icelandic Research Fund , The University of Iceland Research Fund – Doctoral grant , Bergthora and Thorsteinn Scheving Thorsteinsson Fund are gratefully acknowledged. Angela Gono Bwalya thanks the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for financial support.

Other keywords

  • Malaria
  • Marchantia
  • Marchantin A
  • PfFAS-II
  • Plasmodium
  • Protozoa

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