Antimycobacterial Cycloartane Derivatives from the Roots of Trichilia Welwistchii C. DC (Meliaceae)

Abstract Chemical investigation of the roots of Trichilia welwitschii yielded a cycloartane type terpenoid 28,29-bis-norcycloart-24-en-3β,4α,6α-triol (1), isolated as pure compound for the first time, three coumarins and three sterols. New cycloartane derivatives (1a) and (1b+1c) were obtained by hemi-synthetic reaction of compound 1. The structures of 1a–c were established by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D-NMR analysis, HR-EIMS, chemical transformations and by comparison of these data with those of related compounds. Evaluated for their antimycobacterial potential, compound 1 and 1b+1c were determined to show significant activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis MIC values of 6.25 μg mL−1 while compound 1a displayed weak activity showing MIC > 100 μg mL−1. Compounds 2–4 displayed moderate activity with MIC values range from 12.5 to 50 μg mL−1.