Planta Med 2000; 66(4): 356-358
DOI: 10.1055/s-2000-8532
Letter
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Local Anaesthetic, Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Sesquiterpenes from Myrrh

Piero Dolara1,*, Barbara Corte1 , Carla Ghelardini1 , Anna Maria Pugliese1 , Elisabetta Cerbai1 , Stefano Menichetti2 , Antonella Lo Nostro3
  • 1 Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy
  • 2 Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Florence, Italy
  • 3 Department of Public Health, University of Florence, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 2000 (online)

Abstract

We extracted, purified and characterised 8 sesquiterpene fractions from Commyphora molmol. In particular, we focused our attention on a mixture of furanodiene-6-one and methoxyfuranoguaia-9-ene-8-one, which showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against standard pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.18 to 2.8 μg/ml. These compounds also had local anaesthetic activity, blocking the inward sodium current of excitable mammalian membranes.

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Prof. Piero Dolara

Dipartimento di Farmacologia Preclinica e Clinica Universita Firenze

Viale G. Pieraccini, 6

50139 Firenze

Italy

Email: dolara@ds.unifi.it

Phone: ++39-055-4271280

Fax: ++39-055-4271287