A new dammarane-type triterpene from Turkish propolis: isolation, characterization, and biological potential.
Abstract
Background
Propolis is a resinous natural product with increasing industrial importance due to its diverse biological activities. However, its standardization remains challenging because its chemical composition varies significantly depending on geographical and botanical origin. Although routine screenings are common, direct isolation studies aiming to identify novel bioactive compounds from propolis remain limited, particularly for Turkish propolis. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and characterize compounds from propolis samples collected from Rize and Gumushane regions of Türkiye.
Results
Phytochemical investigation led to the identification of one new compound, (20S)-12β-acetoxy-20-hydroxydammaran-3-one-24-methylene (1), together with six known compounds: isalpinin, galangin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, phenethyl ferulate, pinocembrin, and tectochrysin. Structures were elucidated using one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyses. Cytotoxic activities of the extract and isolated compounds were evaluated against OE33, SK-BR-3, ACC-201, and CCD-34Lu cell lines by MTT assay. Compound 1 exhibited selective cytotoxic activity against ACC-201 and SK-BR-3 cancer cells compared with healthy fibroblast cells.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate that Turkish propolis is a valuable source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds. The newly identified dammarane-type compound showed promising selective cytotoxic activity, highlighting its potential for further pharmacological investigations. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.