Brazilian natural medicines. IV. New noroleanane-type triterpene and ecdysterone-type sterol glycosides and melanogenesis inhibitors from the roots of Pfaffia glomerata

Abstract

The ethyl acetate and 1-butanol soluble fractions of the roots of Pfaffia glomerata were found to show inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. From the ethyl acetate and 1-butanol soluble fractions, we isolated a new noroleanane-type triterpene, pfaffianol A, its glycosides, pfaf-fiaglycosides A and B, and ecdysterone-type sterol glycosides, pfaffiaglycosides C, D, and E, together with eight known constituents. The structures of new constituents were determined on the basis of physicochemical and chemical evidence. Among them, pfaffianol A (IC 50=44 μM) and pfaffoside C (IC50=92 μM) substantially inhibited melanogenesis without cytotoxic effects. The inhibitory effects were stronger than that of reference compound, arbutin (IC 50=174 μM). © 2010 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.