Isolation and purification of terpenoid compounds from Ferula haussknechtii and evaluation of their antibacterial effects

Abstract

The roots of F. haussknechtii are used by local people in order to treat wounds and urinary infections. Ferula species are rich in bioactive compounds with biological effects. In line with our previous studies about screening antibacterial natural products, five terpenoid derivatives were purified from Ferula haussknechtii. The separation and purification were performed by column chromatography. Their structures were determined by 1 D and 2 D NMR as hawraman 8-p-hydroxybenzoyl-tovarol (1), ferutinin (2), lancerotriol 6-(p-hydroxybenzoate) (3), chimganin (4), and chimgin (5). Then, the antibacterial effects of the purified compounds were evaluated by measuring their MIC values against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results showed that compound (1) had the most antibacterial effect on Bacillus cereus (MIC = 16 µg/mL). The antibacterial effects of F. haussknechtii compounds are in line with their local application and it is suggested that further studies should be conducted to determine their mechanism of action.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Antibacterial
• ethnobotany
• Ferula haussknechtii
• germacrane
• medicinal plant
• terpenoid

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful to Vice-chancellor for Research and Technology, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 9603231789) for financial support of this work.