Inhibiting activities of the secondary metabolites of Phlomis brunneogaleata against parasitic protozoa and plasmodial enoyl-ACP Reductase, a crucial enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis.

Anti-plasmodial activity-guided fractionation of Phlomis brunneogaleata (Lamiaceae) led to the isolation of two new metabolites, the iridoid glycoside, brunneogaleatoside and a new pyrrolidinium derivative (2 S,4 R)-2-carboxy-4-( E)- p-coumaroyloxy-1,1-dimethylpyrrolidinium inner salt [(2 S,4 R)-1,1-dimethyl-4-( E)- p-coumaroyloxyproline inner salt]. Moreover, a known iridoid glycoside, ipolamiide, six known phenylethanoid glycosides, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, forsythoside B, echinacoside, glucopyranosyl-(1-->G (i)-6)-martynoside and integrifolioside B, two flavone glycosides, luteolin 7- O-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 10) and chrysoeriol 7- O-beta- D-glucopyranoside ( 11), a lignan glycoside liriodendrin, an acetophenone glycoside 4-hydroxyacetophenone 4- O-(6'- O-beta- D-apiofuranosyl)-beta- D-glucopyranoside and three caffeic acid esters, chlorogenic acid, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester and 5- O-caffeoylshikimic acid were isolated. The structures of the pure compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR, [alpha] (D)) and X-ray crystallography. Compounds 10 and 11 were determined to be the major anti-malarial principles of the crude extract (IC (50) values of 2.4 and 5.9 micrograms/mL, respectively). They also exhibited significant leishmanicidal activity (IC (50) = 1.1 and 4.1 micrograms/mL, respectively). The inhibitory potential of the pure metabolites against plasmodial enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI), which is the key regulator of type II fatty acid synthases (FAS-II) in P. falciparum, was also assessed. Compound 10 showed promising FabI inhibiting effect (IC (50) = 10 micrograms/mL) and appears to be the first anti-malarial natural product targeting FabI of P. falciparum.