Biotransformation of Phorbol by Human Intestinal Bacteria

Abstract

Anaerobic incubation of phorbol (1) from Croton tiglium with human intestinal bacteria afforded five metabolites: isophorbol (2), deoxyphorbol (3), 4β,9α,20-trihydroxy-13,15-seco-1,6,15-tigliatriene-3,13-dione (4), 4β,9α,20-trihydroxy-15,16,17-trinor-1,6-tigliadiene-3,13-dione (5) and 4β,9α,20-trihydroxy-14(13→12)-abeo-12αH-1,6-tigliadiene-3,13-dione (6). All these metabolites (2—6) were identified and characterized by spectroscopic means, including two-dimensional (2D)-NMR. Nine defined strains from the human intestine showed an ability to transform 1 to these metabolites.