Furanoterpenoids from Siphonochilus aethiopicus

Lesser Known Aromatic Plants in Nigeria

“…Principal component analysis using GC shows that the constituents of wild ginger are mostly sesquiterpenes as against monoterpenoids or diterpenoids [16,35,39]. Five eudesmane sesquiterpenoids as shown in Figure 1: 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho [2, 3b]-furan-8-one; 2-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydro-naphtho[2, 3b]-furan-8(5H)-one; 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one; 9aβ-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one and 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a-trihydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one were isolated as the constituents of the South African variety [16,17].…”

“…Five eudesmane sesquiterpenoids as shown in Figure 1: 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho [2, 3b]-furan-8-one; 2-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydro-naphtho[2, 3b]-furan-8(5H)-one; 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one; 9aβ-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one and 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a-trihydronaphtho-([2, 3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one were isolated as the constituents of the South African variety [16,17]. However, the elemane sesquiterpenoids: curzerenone and epi-curzerenone, the germacrane sesquiterpenoids: furanodiene (8,12-epoxy-1(10)E,4Z,7,11-germacratetraene); isofuranodiene (8,12-epoxy-1(10)E,4Z,7,11-germacratetraene) and furanodienone (8,12-epoxy-1(10)E,4Z,7,11-germacratetraen-6-one) together with the labdane diterpenoids: 8(17),12E-labdadiene-15,16-dial, 15-hydroxy-8(17),12E-labdadiene-16-al, and 16-oxo-8(17), 12E-labdadiene-15-oic acid (zerumin A) as also shown in Figure 1 were isolated from the Nigerian variety [35,39].…”

“…While they are used as spice by the Igede people of Benue State of Nigeria [15], others mainly use them in traditional medicine for colds, coughs, inluenza, hysteria, pain and malaria amongst other ailments [16,17]. It is also used by Zulu people as a protection against lightning and snakes [18].…”

Bioactive Diterpenes and Sesquiterpenes from the Rhizomes of Wild Ginger (<i>Siphonochilus aethiopicus</i> (Schweinf) B.L Burtt)

“…The tubers or rhizomes are spindle shaped and arranged radially on lateral roots (Burkill, 2000). The South African varieties have white to bright pink flowers with yellow markings on lip and appear between October to February (Kiew, 1980;Holzapfel et al, 2002). The rhizomes of both varieties are used medicinally for colds, coughs, influenza, hysteria, infections, wound dressing, fevers and pain amongst other ailments.…”

“…Two eudesmane sesquiterpenoids: 4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-Trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho[2,3b]-furan-8-one and 2-hydroxy4aαH-3,5α,8aβ-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydro-naphtho[2,3b]-furan-8(5H)-one were isolated as the major constituents of the South African variety (Holzapfel et al, 2002). Efforts to isolate and characterize the constituents of these crude extracts have led to the isolation of the elemane sesquiterpenoid, epi-curzerenone (1), the germacrane sesquiterpenoid, furanodienone (8,12-epoxy-1(10),4,7,11-germacratetraen-6-one) (2) and the labdane diterpenoids: 8(17),12E-labdadiene-15,16-dial (3), 15-Hydroxy-8(17),12E-labdadiene-16-al (4), and 16-Oxo-8(17), 12E-labdadiene-15-oic acid ( Zerumin A) (5).…”