A new sphingolipid and furanocoumarins with antimicrobial activity from Ficus exasperata

Abstract

From the methanol extract of the stem bark of Ficus exasperata, a new sphingolipid named Ficusamide, (2S,3S,4R,11E)-2-[(2′,3′- dihydroxyhexacosanoylamino)]-11-octadecene-1,3,4-triol (1), along with three known furanocoumarins, (S)-(-) oxypeucedanin hydrate (2), (R)-(+) oxypeucedanin hydrate (3), bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) and six other known compounds, were isolated. Their structures were characterized basing on spectroscopic methods and chemical evidence. Compounds (1-3) were analyzed for their antimicrobial activity. Ficusamide (1) showed wick activity (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)=312.5 μg/mL) against Escherichia coli, while the furanocoumarins (2) and (3) showed significant activity (MIC=9.76 μg/mL) against Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans and Microsporum audouinii. © 2012 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.