Biological activities of triterpenoids from Poraqueiba sericea stems.

Eleven compounds were isolated from Poraqueiba sericea stems and identified as niga-ichigoside-F1 (1), trachelosperoside B1 (2), 4-epi-niga-ichigoside (7), 19α-hydroxyasiatic acid (3), myrianthic acid (4), hyptatic acid (5), trachelosperogenin B (6), arjunolic acid (8), and trachelosperogenin E (9), secologanoside (10) and secoxyloganin (11). Compounds 1-11 were tested for their antileishmanial activities against Leishmania infantum promastigotes, 1-6 and 8-11 were tested for their cytotoxic activities on fibroblasts, 1-3, 5-6, 8-11 were evaluated for their anti-elastase and anti-acetylcholinesterase assays activities by a spectrophotometric method and 1-2, 5 and 7-10 were tested using bioautography for their β-glucosidase. No antileishmanial activity was detected; compounds 1, 2 and 11 showed a moderate cytotoxic activity with IC ₅₀ 17.7, 20.5 and 10.9 μg/mL, respectively; compounds 2, 8, 9 and 10 gave a percentage of inhibition ranging from 13 to 16% (at 50 μg/mL) and compounds 1 and 2 showed an inhibition zone on β-glucosidase and anti-acetylcholinesterase assays.