Lupinifolin is a prenylated flavanone that has been isolated from several medicinal
plants, such as Myriopteron extensum [1], Eriosema chinense [2] and Albizia myriophylla [3]. It is also reported to be a major compound of Derris reticulata [4]. In the present study, lupinifolin was isolated from Derris reticulata stem and identified by NMR spectra. Because of its nonpolar structure, lupinifolin
is very soluble in organic solvents, but sparingly soluble in water. Estimated from
log Kow (Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient), water solubility of lupinifolin at
25 °C is 0.009 mg/L [5]. When dissolved in alcohol or dimethyl sulfoxide, it precipitates
after diluted in aqueous buffer. In this study, to avoid the precipitation in aqueous
media, lupinifolin was freshly prepared by solubilizing in 0.5 N NaOH and immediately
diluted in Müller-Hinton broth (MHB) for antibacterial test. From two-fold microdilution
method, it was found that lupinifolin possessed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC and MBC of 8 and 16 µg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial activity of lupinifolin
was confirmed by TEM. After incubation with MIC overnight, lupinifolin significantly
decreased the number of bacteria compared to control and ruptured bacterial cell membrane
and cell wall. We hypothesize that lupinifolin may alter bacterial membrane structure
and function similar to plant flavonoids previously reported [6]. Confirmation of
the mechanism underlying this activity of lupinifolin is in progress.
Acknowledgements: This investigation was supported by SUT Research and Development
Fund. We thank Dr. Paul J. Grote for verification of plant botanical classification.
Keywords: Derris reticulata, lupinifolin, Staphylococcus aureus, antimicrobial, cell membrane.
References:
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