Xenobiotic Biotransformation of 4-Methoxy-N-methyl-2-quinolone, Isolated from Zanthoxylum Monophyllum

Abstract

Phytochemical evaluation of Zanthoxylum monophyllum has led to the isolation of the alkaloid 4-methoxy- N-methyl-2-quinolone (1) with a significant activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with an IC50 value of 1.5 (μg /mL. Xenobiotic biotransformation of 1 has been conducted with the general goal of increasing the bioactivity of the compound and contributing new leads for further pharmacological research. Twenty-nine microorganisms were used for screening and two ( Aspergillus flavus and Cunninghamella echinulata var.echinulata) were able to transform compound 1 to 4-methoxy-2-quinolone (2). Structural identification of the compounds was based on NMR, IR, and MS data.