A phytochemical investigation of Nectandra membranacea from Monteverde, Costa Rica

Abstract

Bioactivity screening of Nectandra membranacea from Monteverde, Costa Rica, revealed that the crude bark extract has in-vitro cytotoxic activity against the Hep G2 and MDA-MB-231 human tumor cell lines, as well as antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, and the yeast Candida albicans. Phytochemical investigation of the bark extract has yielded three eudesmane sesquiterpenes, ilicic acid, costic acid, and 3-isocostic acid. These three sesquiterpenes have been isolated from the Lauraceae family for the first time. All the structures have been confirmed using NMR spectroscopic and MS techniques. The leaf essential oil of N. membranacea has been obtained by hydrodistillation and the chemical components have been identified by GC-MS techniques. The oil is dominated by terpenoid hydrocarbons.