Tectona grandis callus produces antibacterial triterpene acids not detected in the intact plant

Preliminary antibacterial assay data that the Tectona grandis callus extract showed more antibacterial activity against E. coli and B. subtilis than the leaf extract led the authors to isolate the following antibacterial compounds from the callus. A mixture (3) of 2α,3β-dihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (3b) and 2α,3β-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (3b) exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity against both bacteria. The other 3 compounds, in the decreasing order of the activity, were identified as 2α,3α-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (2), betulinic acid (1), and 2α,3α 23-trihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (4). The antibacterial compounds (2, 3a, 3b and 4) were not detected or occurring in small quantities in the intact tissue, while they were observed in the callus. Only the less active compound 1 was present more abundantly in intact tissues than the callus.