Psila boliviensis (Wedd.) Cabr. yielded a new phenylpropanoid, named methyl psilalate. The structure was established by means of standard spectroscopic techniques. The microbiological evaluation of the compound revealed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. serazo@uchile.cl