Activity Against Pythium insidiosum and Isolated Constituents of Cordia insignis Roots

TL;DR

This study explores the roots of Cordia insignis for compounds that may help treat pythiosis, a challenging disease caused by Pythium insidiosum.

Contribution

The study reports the first isolation of a fatty acid and glycoside from the genus Cordia and identifies potent anti-oomycete activity in its root extracts.

Findings

Seven compounds were isolated from Cordia insignis roots, including β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and scoparone.

The hexane fraction showed the strongest anti-oomycete activity with a MIC/MOC of 15.625 µg/mL.

This is the first report of a fatty acid and glycoside in the genus Cordia.

Abstract

Pythiosis, caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum, is a worrying disease with its challenging treatment due to the phylogeny of the pathogen. Natural products are a promising alternative in the treatment of diseases. Cordia insignis (Boraginaceae) is a poorly studied species, but Cordia species exhibit broad bioactivity. This study investigated phytochemically the roots of the species and evaluated the anti‐oomycete activity of the crude extract (CE) and fractions against P. insidiosum. Seven compounds were isolated and identified, including β‐sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, β‐sitosterol‐3‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranosyl, tridecanoic acid, scoparone, and gracicleistanthoside. The steroids, saponin and coumarin, were reported of leaves and branches of C. insignis; the fatty acid and glycoside are being first reported for the genus. The oomyceticidal assays revealed promising potential, with the hexane fraction (FH) being the most potent (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC]/minimum oomicidal concentration [MOC] of 15.625 µg/mL). In conclusion, this study expands the chemotaxonomic knowledge of C. insignis and highlights the pharmacological potential of its roots against pythiosis.

This study investigates the roots of Cordia insignis in search of novel treatments for pythiosis, caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum. Seven compounds are isolated, including steroids, a saponin, a coumarin, a fatty acid, and a glycoside, the latter two are reported for the first time in the genus. The crude extract and fractions exhibit promising anti‐oomycete activity, with the hexane fraction is the most potent (MIC/MOC of 15.625 µg/mL), highlighting the pharmacological potential of C. insignis against pythiosis.

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