An extract of Malleastrum sp. (Meliaceae) collected in Madagascar by the Madagascar International Cooperative Biodiversity Group was found to have antimalarial activity, with an IC50 value between 2.5 and 5 μg ml-1 . After purification by liquid-liquid partition, chromatography on a Diaion open column, C18 SPE and C18 reversed phase HPLC, the new butanolide, malleastrumolide A, was isolated. The structure of malleastrumolide A was determined by mass spectrometry, NMR, and ECD. The double bond position was determined by cross-metathesis and mass spectrometry. The compound has antiproliferative activity against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 17.4 μm and antiplasmodial activity against the drug-resistant Dd2 strain of Plasmodium falciparum with an IC50 value of 2.74 μm.
Keywords: Malleastrum; Antiplasmodial activity; Butanolide; Madagascar; Meliaceae.
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