title: Chemical composition and cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of Calycotome villosa (Poiret) link leaves.
abstract: The chemical composition of the essential oil and methanol extract of Calycotome villosa (Poiret) Link leaves collected in Sardinia (Italy) has been studied by analytical and spectroscopic methods. Falcarinol and some alcohols, terpenes, furan derivatives, and paraffins have been isolated from the essential oil. Thirteen alkaloids and falcarinol have been identified in the chloroform fraction of the basic methanol extract. Six flavonoids and four anthraquinones have been isolated in the chloroform fraction after acidification of the basic methanol extract. The cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities have also been evaluated. The essential oil, the methanol extract in toto, and the fraction of the basic extract showed strong cytotoxicity, whereas the fraction of the acid extract showed lower cytotoxicity. Furthermore, this fraction showed good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus lentus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Providencia rettgeri, and Morganella morganii. It can therefore be stated that this plant's cytotoxicity is prevalently due to falcarinol.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Farmaco Chimico Tecnologico, University of Cagliari, Italy. giloy@unica.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cottiglia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deidda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pompei
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonsignore
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts