Investigation of the phytochemical profiles of Boronella spp (Rutaceae) using molecular networking

Recently, the genus Boronella (Rutaceae), endemic to New Caledonia and comprising four species, was transferred into Boronia on the basis of molecular phylogenetic analyses [1].

Nevertheless, chemical data on Boronella species are scarce. Quinolinone, furoquinoline, dihydrofuroquinoline, pyranoquinoline alkaloids along with koniamborine, an original pyrano[3,2b]indole and an isatine derivative have been described, together with coumarins, lignans and triterpenes [2]–[4].

In order to deeply explore the metabolome of this poorly studied section in the genus Boronia, LC-MS² and molecular networking were applied. Aiming to identify unreported derivatives from the four following species, Boronia hartleyi (synonym Boronella crassifolia), Boronia koniambiensis (syn. Boronella koniambiensis), Boronia pancheri (syn. Boronella pancheri) and Boronia parvifolia (syn. Boronella parvifolia, Boronella verticillata), extracts from several plant parts were investigated.

After this step, purification of the methanolic stems and leaves extracts of B. koniambiensis was performed by a combination of centrifugal partition chromatography, HPLC and MPLC. Among others, the isolation and structure determination of an original coumarin, 3,5-dimethoxypsoralene, was succeeded, together with bergapten, two alkaloids (koniamborine, medicosmine) and three lignans (sesamin, (8R,8ʹR)-3-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxy-9-9ʹ-epoxylignan-4ʹ-ol, S,S-(+)-dehydroxycubebin).

• References

• 1 Bayly MJ, Duretto MF, Holmes GD, Forster PI, Cantrill DJ, Ladiges PY. . Aust Syst Bot 2015; 28: 111-123
• 2 Bévalot F, Vaquette J, Cabalion P. . Plantes médicinales et phytothérapie 1980; 14: 218-220
• 3 Muyard F, Bevalot F, Regnier A, Vaquette J. . Biochem Syst Ecol 1994; 22: 434
• 4 Grougnet R, Magiatis P, Fokialakis N, Mitaku S, Skaltsounis LA, Tillequin F, Sevene T, Litaudon M. J Nat Prod 2005; 68: 1083-1086