Analysis of Unusual Sulfated Constituents and Anti-infective Properties of Two Indonesian Mangroves, Lumnitzera littorea and Lumnitzera racemosa (Combretaceae)

Lumnitzera littorea and Lumnitzera racemosa are mangrove species distributed widely along
the Indonesian coasts. Besides their ecological importance, both are of interest owing to their wealth
of natural products, some of which constitute potential sources for medicinal applications. We aimed
to discover and characterize new anti-infective compounds, based on population-level sampling
of both species from across the Indonesian Archipelago. Root metabolites were investigated by
TLC, hyphenated LC-MS/MS and isolation, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA
was used for genetic characterization. Phytochemical characterization of both species revealed an
unusual diversity in sulfated constituents with 3,3’,4’-tri-O-methyl-ellagic acid 4-sulfate representing
the major compound in most samples. None of these compounds was previously reported for
mangroves. Chemophenetic comparison of L. racemosa populations from different localities provided
evolutionary information, as supported by molecular phylogenetic evidence. Samples of both species
from particular locations exhibited anti-bacterial potential (Southern Nias Island and East Java
against Gram-negative bacteria, Halmahera and Ternate Island against Gram-positive bacteria).
In conclusion, Lumnitzera roots from natural mangrove stands represent a promising source for
sulfated ellagic acid derivatives and further sulfur containing plant metabolites with potential human
health benefits