Chemical constituents from the root bark of Ailanthus altissima and their antibacterial activities

Abstract

In order to explore the antibacterial material basis from the root bark of Ailanthus altissima, the silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 were employed to separate and purify methanol extract from the root bark of the A. altissima, and the structures of the compounds were identified by chemical properties and spectral data. Flow cytometry was employed to test the antibacterial activity of the compounds, and kanamycin was used as control group. The results were as follows: Twenty-two compounds were isolated and elucidated from the root bark of A. altissima respectively as pleuchiol (1), withastramonolide (2), 7-ketositosterol (3), betulin (4), betulinic acid methyl ester (5), 1, 2, 4-trimethoxybenzene (6), dimethyl maleate (7), sonderianol (8), dibutyl phthalate (9), pinoresinol (10), p-hydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester (11), avenalumic acid methyl ester (12), 5, 3′-dihydroxy-3,7, 4′-trimethoxyflavone (13), spathulenol (14), 2-methyl-5-acetonyl-7-hydroxychromone (15), 7, 4′-dihydroxyflavone (16), annphenone (17), 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid (18), 5, 3′,4′-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (19), dibutyl phthalate (20), 4-O-methylgallic acid (21), dioctyl terephthalate (22). All compounds were isolated from the root bark of A. altissima for the first time. The antibacterial activity tests showed that Compound 2 had inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. Compound 3 had inhibitory effects on Bacillus subtilis. Compound 8 had inhibitory effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Compound 17 had inhibitory effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The inhibitory effect of Compound 2 on Bacillus subtilis was not significantly different from kanamycin (P>0.05). This paper aims to clarify the antibacterial substance basis of the root bark of A. altissima, and provide a certain theoretical basis for the development and utilization of the root of A. altissima resources and the research and development of drugs with antibacterial activity.

Keywords

• ailanthus altissima
• chemical constituents
• separation and purification
• structure identification
• antibacterial activity