Natural Product Letters最新文献

A novel acetogenin, cis-bullatencin, was isolated by successive chromatography of a cyclohexane extract of Uvaria chamae P. Beauv. roots. The structure was elucidated by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS). Eight known mono-THF acetogenins--bullatencin, annotemoyin-1, solamin, uvariamicin-I, -II, -III, cis-reticulatacin and cis-uvariamicin-I--were also obtained.

The effect of photo-stabilization of Azadirachtin-A (Aza-A) was examined when exposed to sunlight and ultraviolet light in the presence of four structurally different ultraviolet stabilizers namely 4-aminobenzoic acid, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, 4,4'-dihydroxybenzophenone and phenyl salicylate. The percentages of Aza-A recovered at different time intervals from slides exposed to different light conditions with and without UV stabilizers as well as kinetic studies indicated that the addition of phenyl salicylate in methanolic solution of Aza-A (in 1:1 mole ratio) provides the best photo-stabilization of Aza-A molecule among the four UV stabilizers studied.

Pongarotene (1), a new rotenoid and karanjin (2), a known flavonol, were isolated from the seeds of Pongamia pinnata. The structure determination of these compounds were based on spectral analyses including 2D-NMR. The antifungal, antibacterial and phytotoxicity results of pure compounds 1 and 2 as well as of the methanol (M) and ethyl acetate (E) crude extracts are also being reported.

Isolation of the novel cycloartenoid ester methyl gardenolate A (3a), together with gardenolic acid A (2a) and the unusual triterpenoid xi-glutinol (D:B-friedoolean-5-en-3xi-ol) (1a) from the leaves of Combretum woodii support its differentiation from the closely related C. krausii.

Several terpenoids and clerod-14-ene-3alpha, 4beta,13xi-triol (1), the main compound of V. tucumanensis, were isolated and bioassayed. The clerodane 1 showed higher antifeedant activity than other related compounds. Structure-activity relationships are also discussed.

New triterpene, 3beta-(trans-cinnamoyloxy)-19alpha-hydroxy-urs-12-ene (1) has been isolated from the methanolic fraction of Debregeasia salicifolia, along with uvaol (2), 3beta,19alpha-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene (3), ursolic acid (4), pomolic acid (5), pomolic acid methyl ester (6) and tormentic acid (7) reported for the first time from this species. The compounds (1), (3) and (6) showed significant antimicrobial activity. The structure elucidation was made with the help of extensive 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques.

In the course of our studies on the chemical constituents of the leaves of Skimmia laureola, a new triterpene O-methyl cyclolaudenol (1) and a new coumarin, (+)-7-methoxy-6-(2'R-methoxy-3'-hydroxy-3'-methyl butyl) coumarin (2) were isolated. In addition five known coumarins, isogospherol (3), heraclenol (4), 5,8-dimethoxy coumarin-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (5), 7-methoxy-6[2'-oxo-3'-methyl butyl] coumarin (6), and (+)-ulopterol (7) were also isolated for the first time from this plant. The structures were identified by spectroscopic studies and the stereochemistry at C-2' in compounds 3 and 4 were established by Horeau's procedure.

The microbial transformation of (+)-adrenosterone (1) by Cephalosporium aphidicola afforded three metabolites identified as androsta-1,4-diene-3,11,17-trione (2), 17beta-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione (3) and 17beta-hydroxyandrosta-1,4-diene-3,11-dione (4). The fermentation of 1 with Fusarium lini also produced metabolites 2 and 4, while the fermentation with Trichothecium roseum afforded metabolite 3. The structures of transformed products were determined by spectroscopic methods.

In continuation of our interest in chemical modification of triterpenoids, the Willgerodt-Kindler reaction of a lupane type triterpenoid lupenone provided a novel dimerized product 2. Formation of 2 is associated with an unusual oxidative dimerization of lupenone under Willgerodt-Kindler reaction conditions. The structure 2 was confirmed by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data including ES-MS and 2D-NMR.

Ipomoea cairica cell cultures produced a tetrahydrofuran lignan, (+)-pinoresinol, identified by UV, IR, MS and NMR methods, not yet found in the intact plant, and new in the Convolvulaceae family. Pinoresinol was found to have antioxidant and Ca2+ antagonist properties. As it could be requested for its biological activity, we examined the possibility to raise the pinoresinol yield of I. cairica cultures, as well as we continued investigations on lignans' response to optimization.