Phytochemical Profile and Anti-lipase Activity of Balkan Endemic Jurinea tzar-ferdinandii

Abstract

Phytochemical study of the Balkan endemic J. tzar-ferdinandii Davidov allowed the identification of twenty-two components. β-Amyrin, lupeol, taraxasterol and Ψ-taraxasterol and their 3- O-acetates and 3- O-palmitates were identified by GC/MS. Six closely related sesquiterpene lactones and four flavones were isolated from the chloroform extract using column chromatography, and their structural identification was performed by spectral analyses. All isolated compounds are described for the first time in Jurinea species. The inhibitory potential of the total chloroform extract, fractions containing triterpenes, flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones as well as individual compounds against a bacterial lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL) and a lipase from porcine pancrease (PPL) was evaluated. The half maximal inhibitory constants (IC50) for the two enzymes were in the range of 28–150 μg/mL. The strongest inhibitory activity was found for the total chloroform extract (29±1 μg/mL and 39±1 μg/mL for CRL and PPL, respectively.). Among the individual compounds, onopordopicrin was found to be the most potent inhibitor for CRL and PPL with IC50 values of 32±1 μg/mL and 36±1 μg/mL, respectively.