Abstract The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves of Vitex agnus-castus and Ocimum campechianum, and from fresh inflorescences of Ocimum carnosum were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major components of V. agnus-castus essential oil were identified as 1,8-cineole (47.9%), terpinyl α-acetate (11.6%), sabinene (11.2%) and caryophyllene oxide (9.7%), while in the O. campechianum essential oil were eugenol (72.1%), β-elemene (6.8%), (E)-caryophyllene (6.4%) and bicyclogermacrene (5.2%). Linalool (79.0%), α-epi-cadinol (5.4%), terpinen-4-ol (3.2%) and 1,8-cineole (2.8%) were the major constituents in the O. carnosum essential oil. The essential oils were subsequently evaluated for their larvicidal and cytotoxic activities. Larval bioassay against Aedes aegypti of V. agnus-castus, O. campechianum and O. carnosum essential oils showed LC50 values of 97.55 ± 0.35, 81.45 ± 0.35 and 109.49 ± 0.35 μg/mL, respectively. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the essential oils has been evaluated on breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung carcinoma (NCI-H292), pro-myelocytic leukemia (HL-60), and cervical adenocarcinoma (HEP-2) human cell lines, and pro-myelocytic leukemia cells lines (HL-60) were found to be the most sensitive to all the essential oils tested than the others. This is the first report on larvicidal and cytotoxic activities of these essential oils.

Stemodinol, a new natural compound, together with known compounds including jaceidin, stemodin, stemodinoside B, isocrenatoside, verbascoside, crenatoside, and isoverbascoside, were isolated from Stemodia maritima Linn. The antioxidant (DPPH method) and antimicrobial activities of stemodin, stemodinoside B, and crenatoside were investigated. Among the components tested, only crenatoside isolated from the roots showed a high antioxidant power. Stemodin and stemodinoside B exhibited antibacterial activities.

Um novo diterpeno, (5S*,8S*,9R*,10S*)-11β,12β-epoxi-9α-hidróxi-19(4→3) abeo-abieta-3,13-dieno-19,18-olideo, e as substâncias conhecidas estemodina, D-manitol, ácido betulínico, uma mistura de 3β-O-β-D-glicopiranosil-β-sitosterol e 3β-O-β-D-glicopiranosilestigmasterol, e 5,7,4'-triidróxi-3,8,3'-trimetoxiflavona, foram isolados das folhas e talos de Stemodia maritima. A elucidação estrutural de todas as substâncias baseou-se na interpretação de dados espectrais, principalmente RMN (1D e 2D) e espectrometria de massa (EM), envolvendo comparação com valores descritos na literatura.

A new diterpene, (5S*,8S*,9R*,10S*)-11β,12β-epoxy-9α-hydroxy-19(4→3) abeo-abieta-3,13-diene-19,18-olide, together with the known compounds stemodin, D-mannitol, betulinic acid, a mixture of 3β-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-sitosterol and 3β-O-β-D-glucopyranosylstigmasterol and 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,8,3'-trimethoxyflavone were isolated from the leaves and stems of Stemodia maritima. Structural elucidation of all compounds was based on interpretation of spectral data, mainly NMR (1D and 2D) and MS, including comparison with values described in the literature.

Dos frutos de Pterodon polygalaeflorus (Leguminosae) foram isolados o novo diterpeno 6alfa-hidroxivouacapano e os conhecidos diterpenóides 6alfa,7beta,14beta,19-tetraidroxivouacapano, 6alfa,7beta-diidroxivouacapan-17beta-oato de metila e o flavonóide taxifolina. As estruturas foram determinadas com base em análise espectroscópica, inclusive RMN bidimensional, transformação química do novo diterpeno e comparação com dados da literatura.

From fruits of Pterodon polygalaeflorus (Leguminosae) the new diterpene 6alpha-hydroxyvouacapane, the known diterpenoids vouacapane-6alpha,7beta,14beta,19-tetraol and methyl 6alpha,7beta-dihydroxyvouacapan-17b-oate and the flavonoid taxifolin were isolated. Structural determinations were accomplished by spectroscopic analysis, including two-dimensional NMR, chemical transformation of the new diterpene and comparison with literature data.