Structural Elucidation and Cytotoxicity of a New 17-Membered Ring Lactone from Algerian Eryngium campestre

The chemical composition of a hexanic extract of Eryngium campestre, obtained from its aerial parts, was investigated by GC-FID, GC/MS, HRMS, NMR and VCD analyses. The main compounds were germacrene D (23.6%), eudesma-4(15)-7-dien-1-β-ol (8.2%) and falcarindiol (9.4%), which are associated with a new uncommon and naturally found 17-membered ring lactone. This 17-membered ring features conjugated acetylenic bonds, named campestrolide (23.0%). The crude extract showed moderate antitrypanosomal (Trypanosoma brucei brucei), antileishmanial (Leishmania mexicana mexicana) and anticancer (cancerous macrophage-like murine cells) activities, and also displayed cytotoxicity, (human normal fibroblasts) in similar concentration ranges (IC(50) = 3.0, 3.9, 4.0 and 4.4 µg/mL respectively). Likewise, campestrolide displayed low activity on all tested cells (IC(50): 12.5–19.5 µM) except on Trypanosoma, on which it was very active and moderately selective (IC(50) = 2.2 µM. SI= 8.9). In conclusion, the new compound that has been described, displaying a singular structure, possesses interesting antitrypanosomal activity that should be further investigated and improved.