Rare Sesquiterpenefrom Leaves of Dipteryx lacunifera Ducke (Fabaceae) and Evaluation of Biological Activities

Medicinal plants have long been used in traditional medicine to treat and prevent many diseases. The genus Dipteryx (Fabaceae) comprises 14 species in South and Central America, standing out for its diversity of compounds, such as coumarins, flavonoids, and terpenoids. This study aims to investigate the chemical constituents of Dipteryx lacunifera from Piauí State, Brazil, and to evaluate its cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and anticholinesterase activities. Five constituents were isolated from the hexane extract of the leaves: one steroid, β -sitosterol ( 1 ), two triterpenoids, lupeol ( 2 ) and betulin ( 3 ) and two sesquiterpenes, spathulenol ( 4 ) and (1a R ^* ,2' R ^* ,4a R ^* ,7 S ^* ,7a S ^* ,7b R ^* )-1,1,7-trimethyldecahydrospiro[cyclopropa[ e ]azulene-4,2'-oxiran]-7-ol ( 5 ). By CG-MS, 19 additional compounds were identified, such as hydrocarbons, steroids, diterpenes, and fatty acids. Constituent 1 exhibited cytotoxic effects against BF-F10 and PC3 tumor cell lines. Regarding anticholinesterase activity, the hexane fraction demonstrated inhibition only at the highest concentration, while antimicrobial activity revealed efficacy against Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus . We report, for the first time, a rare sesquiterpene isolated from Dipteryx lacunifera leaves, highlighting its therapeutic potential and contributing to the scientific understanding of Piauí Cerrado biodiversity.