Chemical constituents from Piper marginatum Jacq. (Piperaceae)—antifungal activities and kinetic resolution of (RS)-marginatumol by Candida antarctica lipase (Novozym 435)

The leaves of Piper marginatum contain the antifungal compounds 3,4-methylenedioxypropiophenone 1, 2-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxypropiophenone 2, 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)propan-1-ol 3 (marginatumol), 5,4′-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone 4 and 5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavanone 5. The absolute configuration of natural marginatumol was determined as (+)-(R)-3 (ee 48%) by comparison of its optical properties with the chiral forms obtained by kinetic resolution of racemic 3 using Candida antarctica lipase (Novozym 435).