A new mulinane diterpenoid from the cushion shrub Azorella compacta growing in Perú

Abstract

Background: Azorella compacta is a rare yellow-green compact resinous cushion shrub growing from the high Andes of southern Peru to northwestern Argentina, and which is a producer of biologically active and unique diterpenoids. Objective: This study investigated the secondary metabolites present in a Peruvian sample of Azorella compacta and the evaluation of gastroprotective activity of the isolated compounds in a gastric- induced ulcer model in mice. Material and Methods: Six secondary metabolites (diterpenoids 1-6) present in the dichloromethane (DCM) extract of A. compacta growing in Peru were isolated by a combination of Sephadex LH-20 permeation and silica gel chromatography and their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (NMR) and molecular modeling. The gastroprotective activity of the new compound 1 was evaluated on the HCl/EtOH-induced gastric lesion model in mice and compared to the activity showed by the known compounds. Results: A new mulinane diterpe