A investigação química das raízes de Cordia polycephala resultou no isolamento de duas novas naftoquinonas terpenoídicas, 6-[10-(12,12-dimetil-13α-(22-metil-21-butenoilóxi)-16-metenilciclohexil)etil]-naftaleno-1,4-diona e (6-[10-(12,12-dimetil-13α-(tigloilóxi)-16-metenilciclohexil)etil]-naftaleno-1,4-diona, designadas de cordiaquinonas N (1) e O (2), respectivamente. As cordiaquinonas já conhecidas, B (3), L (4) e E (5), foram também isoladas. Suas estruturas foram elucidadas após detalhada análise dos dados de RMN ¹H e 13C (1D e 2D) e EMAR (espectrometria de massas de alta resolução). Todas as cordiaquinonas (1-5) foram avaliadas contra quatro linhagens de células cancerígenas: HCT-8 (colo), HL-60 (leucemia), MDA-MB-435 (melanoma) e SF295 (glioblastoma), mostrando IC50 na faixa de 1,2 a 11,1 mmol L-1. As novas cordiaquinonas 1 e 2 foram as mais ativas contra todas as linhagens de câncer, enquanto 3 foi mais seletiva para células leucêmicas (IC50 2,2 µmol L-1).

The chemical investigation of roots of Cordia polycephala resulted in the isolation of two new terpenoid naphtoquinones, 6-[10-(12,12-dimethyl-13α-(22-methyl-21-butenoyloxy)-16-methenylcyclohexyl)ethyl]-naphtalene-1,4-dione and (6-[10-(12,12-dimethyl-13α-(tigloyloxy)-16-methenylcyclohexyl)ethyl]-naphtalene-1,4-dione, named as cordiaquinone N (1) and O (2), respectively. The known cordiaquinones B (3), L (4) and E (5) were also isolated. Their structures were elucidated after detailed 1D and 2D NMR and high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS) data analysis. All cordiaquinones (1-5) were evaluated against four human cancer cell lines: HCT-8 (colon), HL-60 (leukemia), MDA-MB-435 (melanoma) and SF295 (glioblastoma), showing IC50 values in the range of 1.2 to 11.1 mmol L-1. The new cordiaquinones 1 and 2 were the most active against all cancer cell lines, while compound 3 was selective to leukemia HL-60 cells (IC50 2.2 mmol L-1).

Duas novas ceramidas N-(4-hidroxifeniletil)octacosamida (1) e rel-(2S,3S,4R,16E)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hidroxinonadecanoilamino]-heneicosadec-16-eno-1,3,4-triol (2) foram isoladas do extrato etanólico de Acnistus arborescens. As estruturas foram elucidadas por métodos espectroscópicos (experimentos de RMN 1D e 2D, EMAR com ionização por electrospray, EM e IV).

Two new ceramides, N-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)octacosamide (1) and rel-(2S,3S,4R,16E)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxynonadecanoylamino]-heneicosadec-16-ene-1,3,4-triol (2) were isolated from the EtOH extract of Acnistus arborescens. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR experiments, HR-ESI-MS, LR-MS and IR) methods.

The chemical composition of the essential oils, obtained by hidrodistillation, from leaves of two Vernonia species (V. remotiflora and V. brasiliana), was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS. Both essential oils were predominantly constituted by sesquiterpenes (92.0 - 93.4%). The main constituents of the oil from V. brasilana were (E)-caryophyllene (36.7%), germacrene D (35.5%), and α-humulene (11.7%), while (E)-caryophyllene (42.2%) and bicyclogermacrene (20.0%) were the major ones in the oil from V. remotiflora. Although with moderate activity both oils showed acetylcholinesterase and antibacterial activities.