title: Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of coumarins from the roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae).
abstract: We report the isolation of several coumarins and the stereochemical assessment of some pyranocoumarins, as well as the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the three most abundant ones (grandivittin, agasyllin and aegelinol benzoate) isolated from the roots of Ferulago campestris collected in Sicily and of the hydrolysis product (aegelinol). Aegelinol and agasyllin showed antibacterial activity against nine ATCC and the same clinically isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. At a concentration between 16 and 125 mg/mL both coumarins showed a significant antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In particular the ATCC strains Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella thypii, Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter earogenes (MIC = 16 and 32 mg/mL for aegelinol and agasyllin, respectively) were the most inhibited. Antibacterial activity was also found against Helicobacter pylori: a dose-dependent inhibition was shown between 5 and 25 mg/mL. The antioxidant activity of the coumarins was evaluated by their effects on human whole blood leukocytes (WB) and on isolated polymorphonucleate (PMN) chemiluminescence (CL), PMA-stimulated and resting.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento delle Scienze Biologiche, sezione di Biologia Vegetale, Università Federico II, via Foria 223, 80139 Napoli, Italy. adbasile@unina.it
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorbo
authors.forename: Vivienne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faraone
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosselli
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019661:Apiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D003374:Coumarins