Antileishmanial activity of long chain alkyl benzene and other constituents from seeds of Sesamum indicum. L (Pedaliaceae)

Abstract

The methanolic extract of the waste seeds of Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae) was subjected to chromatographic fractionation; it led to the isolation of an alkyl benzene identified as 1,3-bis (pentadecyl)benzene (1) along with three known fatty acids: oleic acid (2), linoleic acid (3), and palmitic acid (4); one monosaturated cardanol, 3-pentadecylphenol (5) and two phytosteroids identified as sitostanol (6) and campestanol (7). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1, 5 and 6 were evaluated against protozoan parasites. Compound 1 moderately inhibited the promastigote form of Leishmania donovani LG13 with IC₅₀ equal to 16.9 μM.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Sesamum indicum
• Pedaliaceae
• alkylbenzene
• stanols
• antileismanial activity

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Biotechnology Centre, University of Yaoundé I for the biological test. We thank also the Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Analytical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Pharmacognosy Unit for spectral analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).