Phytomedicine. 1999 Nov; 6(5): 341-5.

Antitubercular activity of pentacyclic triterpenoids from plants of Argentina and Chile.

W�chter GA, Valcic S, Flagg ML, Franzblau SG, Montenegro G, Suarez E, Timmermann BN.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson 85721, USA.

Screening of plants from South America for antitubercular activity and subsequent assay-guided fractionation resulted in the isolation and characterization of several pentacyclic triterpenoids. The MIC values of 22 triterpenoids were determined using the radiorespiratory BACTEC assay and range from 8 microM to above 128 microM. The structure-activity relationships are discussed.