Chemical composition and FtsZ GTPase inhibiting activity of the essential oil of Piper sarmentosum from Andaman Islands, India

Abstract

Chemical composition of essential oils from the leaves, fruits and roots of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (Piperaceae) growing wild in Andaman Islands, India was investigated by gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C-NMR). The phenyl propanoid myristicin was identified as the major compound comprising 83.4% in the leaf oil, 84.2% in the fruit oil and 81.2% in the root oil. The sesquiterpenoid β-caryophyllene was present in all the oils, 4.2% in the leaves, 5.7% in the fruits and 4.0% in the roots oil. The major constituent myristicin was isolated and structure was further confirmed by ¹³C-NMR analysis. The antimicrobial efficacy of myristicin was evaluated by both in vitro and in silico FtsZ inhibition studies. The in vitro assay showed 13.0% FtsZ inhibition by 200-μΜ myristicin and the molecular docking simulation supported the activity of myristicin.

Keywords:

• Piper sarmentosum Roxb
• essential oil composition
• myristicin
• FtsZ inhibition
• molecular docking

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Director, JNTBGRI, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram for facilities. One of the authors (SPM) would like to express his sincere thanks to the Head, Botanical Survey of India, Andaman-Nicobar Circle, Port Blair and PCCF, Forest Department, Andaman-Nicobar Islands for rendering facilities for botanical exploration.