Antifungal and antibacterial chalcones from Myrica serrata.

The dichloromethane extract of the leaves of Myrica serrata inhibits growth of Cladosporium cucumerinum, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli on TLC plates. Activity-guided fractionation led the isolation of 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethylchalcone (1), 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-5'-methylchalcone (aurentiacin A) (2), 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-3',5'-dimethyldihydrochalcone (3), 2'-hydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxy-3'-methyldihydrochalcone (4), and 2', 6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-3'-methyldihydrochalcone (5). In addition, the flavanones demethoxymatteucinol (6) and cryptostrobin (7) were also identified.