Dehydrodieugenols from Nectandra polita

The wood of Nectandra polita contains sitosterol, O-methyleugenol, eugenol, dehydrodieugenol, O-methyldehydrodieugenol and di-O-methyldehydrodieugenol, whose isolation from a natural source is reported here for the first time.     

Neolignans from Ocotea aciphylla

The trunk wood of the central Brazilian Ocotea aciphylla contains two hydrobenzofuranoid and three bicyclo[3.2.1]octanoid neolignans. The former comprise a novel representative of the rare ferrearin (3a-allyl-2-aryl-7a-hydroxy-3-methyl-2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexahydro-7-oxobenzofuran) type.     

Neolignans from Ocotea catharinensis

The trunk bark of Ocotea catharinensis yielded, besides the known bicyclo(3.2.1)octanoid neolignans canellin-C and 5′-methoxycanellin-C, two epimers rel-(1R,4S and 4R,5S,6R,7S,8R)-1-allyl-4,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-7-methyl-6-piperonyl-bicyclo(3.2.1)oct-2-enes and rel-(1R,5S,6R,7S,8R)-1-allyl-3,8-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-7-methyl-6-piperonyl-4-oxobicyclo(3.2.1)oct-2-ene. The hydrobenzofuranoid neolignans are represented by the equally novel (2S,3S,5R)-5-allyl-5,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-2-piperonyl-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-6-oxobenzofuran and (2R,3S,3aS)-3a-allyl-5,7-dimethoxy-3-methyl-2-piperonyl-2,3,3a,6-tetrahydro-6-oxobenzofuran.     

A monoterpene alcohol from Laurus nobilis

Cis- and trans-thuj-2-en-4-ol have been identffied in the essential oil of Laurus nobilis, the former as a novel compound.     

Porosin: A neolignan from Ocotea porosa

The wood of Ocotea porosa (Nees) L. Barr. (Lauraceae) contains sitosterol, sesquiterpenes, n-octacosanoic acid, n-hexacosanoic acid and the neolignan porosin for which the structure of 3a-allyl-5-methoxy-3-methyl-2-veratryl-2,3,3a,6,7,7a-hexahydro-6-oxobenzofuran (II) is proposed.     

Three new species of Ocotea (Lauraceae) from southern Mexico

Three new species ofOcotea (O. disjuncta, O. iridescens, andO. rovirosae) from southern Mexico are described and illustrated.Ocotea disjuncta is related to theO. effusa group, whileO. iridescens seems to be related to theO. heydeana group. The relationships ofO. rovirosae are not clear.      

In vitro culture of two threatened South African medicinal trees – Ocotea bullata and Warburgia salutaris

The aim of the project was to develop micropropagation procedures for theheavily exploited and endangered South African trees black stinkwood (Ocotea bullata) and pepperbark (Warburgia salutaris) to facilitateconservation and reforestation. Both species are difficult to establish andgrow in tissue culture because of their high phenolic content. A protocol forthe establishment of explants in vitro was developed comprisingdecontamination, the application of antioxidants and cold treatment.     

Neolignans from Aniba citrifolia

The trunk wood of Aniba citrifolia contains hydrobenzofuranoid and bicyclo[3.2.1]octanoid neolignans.     

In vitro plantlet regeneration of Ocotea catharinensis,an endangered Brazilian hardwood forest tree

A successful system of somatic embryogenesis is described for the forest tree Ocotea catharinensis Mez., which used mature zygotic embryo explants cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with activated charcoal, at 25°C in the dark. A medium composed of MS supplemented with 2% (w/v) sucrose, 0.3% (w/v) activated charcoal (AC), 362 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d) and 0.8% (w/v) Technical Agar Grade III was used for multiplication of embryogenic cultures. Development up to the globular-stage was achieved using Lloyd and McCown woody plant medium (WPM) with 2.0% sucrose, 0.3% AC, 181 M 2,4-d and 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III. Significant effects of media pH on differentiation of early pro-embryogenic Ocotea cell aggregates were found. Low pH of media (ca. 3–4) appeared to prevent differentiation of proembryogenic cell aggregates whereas higher pH levels (ca. 5–5.5) favoured the formation of globular structures. Once globular structures formed, they developed further to form cotyledonary somatic embryos, under the same set of culture conditions. Successful conversion of these somatic embryos to plantlets was achieved after culture on a medium composed of 1/2-strength WPM (minerals only) with 2% sucrose, 0.3% AC, 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III and 90.5 M 2,4-d, followed by transfer to a medium composed of 1/2-strength WPM (minerals only) with 2% sucrose, 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III and 0.905 M 2,4-d and 1.4 M gibberellic acid, in a 16-h photoperiod regime.     

Cecilin,a 1-benzyl-β-carboline from aniba santalodora

The trunk wood of Aniba santalodora (Lauraceae) contains benzyl benzoate and a novel alkaloid, 1-p-hydroxybenzyl-6-methoxy-β-carboline.     

Methoxystyrenes from the genus Zieria

A new group of aromatic ethers has been isolated from the essential oils of several Zieria species. ¹H NMR and MS have indicated trimethoxy-, t     

Mating system dynamics of Ocotea tenera (Lauraceae), a gynodioecious tropical tree

Progeny arrays of Ocotea tenera (Lauraceae), a gynodioecious tree endemic to Costa Rica, were electrophoretically surveyed for allozyme variation to estimate the outcrossing rate in the overall population and to test for differences in outcrossing rates between hermaphroditic and female trees. Multilocus outcrossing rate estimates across 3 yr indicated O. tenera predominantly outcrosses. However, significant heterogeneity in single-locus outcrossing rates was found among loci. Two loci (Fe1, Fe2) gave high outcrossing estimates, and a third locus (Gdh) gave much lower outcrossing estimates. Heterogeneity in Gdh pollen allele frequencies, consanguineous matings, and selection against homozygous zygote genotypes at the Fe1 and Fe2 loci are factors contributing to the discrepancy in outcrossing rate estimates among loci. There were no differences in the mating systems of hermaphroditic and female trees, which suggests that factors beyond prevention of self-fertilization may have also promoted the evolution of gynodioecy in O. tenera.     

Inhibitory effect of Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. and Piper aduncum L. essential oils from Ecuador on West Nile virus infection

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible of neuroinvasive manifestations. Natural products are well-known for their biological activities and pharmaceutical application. In this study, the inhibitory effects of essential oils (EOs) of Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. and Piper aduncum L. on WNV replication were investigated. WNV was incubated with EOs before adsorption on Vero cells, viral replication was carried out in the absence or presence of EO. Cells were exposed to EO before the adsorption of untreated-virus. GC-MS and GC-FID were used for chemical characterization of EOs. Cell protection from infection was observed for both EOs. P. aduncum EO was characterized by dillapiole as main compound (48.21%) and O. quixos EO by 1,8-cineole (39.15%). Further investigations, such as the study of molecular and cellular mechanisms of action and in vivo evaluation, should be performed on these essential oils to derive new potential drugs against WNV.     

Neolignans from Licaria rigida

Trunk wood of Licaria rigida contains the neolignans eusiderin, eusiderin-B, canellin-A and canellin-C.     

Sesquiterpenes from Artemisia princeps

Copaene, cyperene, caryophyllene, β-farnesene, α-himachalene, γ-humulene and farnesyl acetate were isolated from the root of Artemisia princeps. As a result of isomerization studies on γ-humulene, the main constituent, a preferred conformation was proposed.