Abstract

Impatiens balsamina Linne(Balsaminaceae) known as 'BONG SUN HWA' in Korea and has been used for the treatment of scrofulosis, carbunculus and dysenteria etc. Bioassay-guided fractionation of MeOH extract from the whole plants of Impatiens balsamina has afforded a simple naphthoquinone derivative, 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. The structure of this compound was established by spectroscopic methods. This compound possessed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans, AspergiIlus niger, Crytococcus neoformans and Epidermophyton floccusum. The activity of 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone on E. floccusum $(MIC{\;}:{\;}5.0{\;}{\mu}g/ml)$ was the same potency as that of nystatin. It showed also strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis as well as gram-negative bacteria Salmonella typhimurium. Although the activity of this compound on gram-negative bacteria was lower than that of gram-positive bacteria.

Keywords

• Impatiens balsamina;
• Balsaminaceae;
• 2-methoxy-1;
• 4-naphthoquinone;
• antibacterial;
• antifungal activity