Tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corydalis saxicola</Emphasis>

Thirteen tetrahydroprotoberberines, 2,9,10-thrihydroxy-3-methoxytetrahydroprotoberberine (1), cavidine (2), thalictrifoline (3), mesotetrahydrocorysamine (4), stylopine (5), sinactine (6), apocavidine (7), cheilanthifoline (8), 13-β-hydroxystylopine (9), tetrahydropalmatine (10), tetrahydropalmatrubine (11), isocorypalmine (12), and scoulerine (13) have been isolated from the herb of Corydalis. Saxicola Bunting. Of these alkaloids, 2,9,10-thrihydroxy-3-methoxytetrahydroprotoberberine (1) was a new base. The alkaloids mesotetrahydrocorysamine (4), stylopine (5), sinactine (6), apocavidine (7), cheilanthifoline (8), 13-β-hydroxystylopine (9), tetrahydropalmatine (10), tetrahydropalmatrubine (11), isocorypalmine (12), and scoulerine (13), although previously known, were isolated for the first time from Corydalis saxicola Bunting. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 143–144, March–April, 2007.     

10-chloro-19-norcardiosteroids

Substitution of the angular aldehyde by halogen in cardiosteroids in two steps was studied. The first step was oxidation of the aldehyde and production of the cooresponding 19-carboxylic acids; the second, decarboxylation of the 19-carboxylic acids using N-chlorosuccinimide or chloride salts. The 10-chloro-19norcardiosteroids: 10-chloro-19-norstrophanthidine (1), 10-chloro-19-norcymarin (2), 10-chloro-19norconvallatoxin (3), 10-chloro-19-norstrophalloside (4), and 10-chloro-19-norbovoside A (5) were prepared for the first time. The intermediates strophalloside-19-carboxylic acid and bovoside A-19-carboxylic acid were also prepared for the first time and characterized.     

A new biscoumarin and other constituents from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Guazuma tomentosa</Emphasis> ROOTS

A new dicoumarol, 3,3′-methylenebis(4,6-dihydroxycoumarin) (1), along with the known metabolites, β-sitosteryl stearate (2), n-tetracosanoic acid (3), friedelin (4), friedel-1-en-3-one (5), β-sitosterol (6), 29-norcycloartanol (7), oleanolic acid (8), 3-O-acetyloleanolic acid (9), 6-methoxy-7,8-methylenedioxy coumarin (10), and methyl-3-acetyloleanolate (11), were isolated from the roots of Guazuma tomentosa. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic (IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR, and mass) studies.     

A new flavonol derivative from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagopyrum dibotrys</Emphasis>

A new flavonol derivative 3, 8-dihydroxy-10-methoxy-5-H-isochromeno[4, 3-b]chromen-7-one (1) together with four known compounds, glutinone (2), luteolin (3), acacetin 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), and rutin (5) were isolated from the dried roots of Fagopyrum dibotrys. Their structures were determined by UV, IR, MS, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 567–568, November–December, 2008.     

Isolation and antiproliferative activity of chemical constituents from Asystasia buettneri Lindau

N-hexane and methanol extracts of Asystasia buettneri Lindau aerial parts exhibited antiproliferative activity on leukaemia blood carcinoma, K-562. Hexadecane (1), 1,3-propan-2-ol (9Z,12′Z,15″Z)-bis(doeicos-9,12,15-trienoate) (2), hydrocarbon, 2,3,3,10,23-pentamethyl tetraeicos-10,13,16-trien-1-ol (3), hexadecanoic acid (4) and taraxerol (5) were isolated from n-hexane extract; stigmasterol (6) and (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid (7) were isolated from ethyl acetate extract; while unsaturated hydrocarbons, octadecene (8), 8-methyl tetradec-6-ene (9) and 19-methyl eicos-1-ene (10), fatty acids, (Z)-5-hexadecenoic acid (11), 11,22-dimethyl ethyltrieicos-11-enoate (12) and taraxasterol (13) were isolated from methanol extract of the plant. Compounds 4, 5, 7, 11, 12 and 13 exhibited antiproliferative activity against K-562, while compounds 5, 6, 7 and 9 revealed antiproliferative activity by inhibiting hepatic liver (WRL68) cell lines.     

Glutinane triterpenes from the stem bark of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euonymus hamiltonianus</Emphasis>

Three new glutinane-type triterpenes, 19α-glutin-5-en-19-ol (1), 2β,15α,21β-glutin-11-ene-2,15,21-triol (2), and 2β,19α-glutin-7,21-diene-2,19-diol (3), were isolated from the stem bark of Euonymus hamiltonianus. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR along with MS and IR. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 321–323, May–June, 2009.     

Secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Annulohypoxylon boveri</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">microspora</Emphasis> BCRC 34012

A chemical study on the n-BuOH-soluble fraction of the 95% EtOH extract of long-grain rice (Oryza sativa) fermented with the endophytic fungus Annulohypoxylon boveri var. microspora (BCRC 34012) has resulted in the isolation of one new natural azaphilone derivative, designated as annulohypoxyboverin (1) together with 12 known compounds, (3R,6R,7E)-3-hydroxy-4,7-megstigma-dien-9-one (2), α-tocopheryl quinone (3), isofraxidin (4), coumarin (5), cinnamic acid (6), a mixture of palmitic acid (7) and stearic acid (8), N-cis-feruloyltyramine (9), luteolin (10), kaempferol (11), kaempferitrin (12), and 4,5,4′,5′-tetrahydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (13). Annulohypoxyboverin (1) contains a dihydrobenzofuran-2,4-dione backbone, 1-hydroxyhexyl side chain, and one γ-lactone ring. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR experiments, and by HR-ESI-MS. The relative configuration of 1 was confirmed by NOESY experiment. Other known compounds were identified by comparing their spectral data with those of literature data.     

Secondary metabolites isolated from the fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Biscogniauxia cylindrospora</Emphasis> BCRC 33717

One new dihydroisocoumarin, (3S)-5-hydroxy-8-O-methylmellein (1), as well as nine known compounds, 5-formylmellein (2), mellein-5-carboxylic acid (3), 5-hydroxymethylmellein (4), 3β-hydroxystigmast-5- en-7-one (5), N-trans-feruloyltyramine (6), N-cis-feruloyltyramine (7), vanillic acid (8), methyl paraben (9), and syringaldehyde (10), were isolated from the n-BuOH-soluble fraction of the 70% EtOH extract of rice fermented with the endophytic fungus Biscogniauxia cylindrospora (BCRC 33717). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy together with HR-ESI-MS analysis and comparison of the spectroscopic data with those reported for structurally related compounds.     

Effect of the lanthanoid-size on the structure of a series of lanthanoid-anilato 2-D lattices*

Abstract

We report the synthesis and characterization of a series of Ln-based bromoanilato 2-D lattices with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO): [Ln₂(C₆O₄Br₂)₃(DMSO)_n]·2DMSO·mH₂O with n = 6 and m = 0 for Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3), Nd (4), Sm (5), Eu (6) and Gd (7); n = 4 and m = 2 for Ln = Tb (8), Dy (9), Ho (10), Er (11), Tm (12) and Yb (13) (C₆O₄Br₂^2? = 3,6-dibromo-2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone = bromoanilato). The X-ray analysis shows that the largest Ln(III) ions (La-Gd, 1-7) crystallize in the monoclinic P21/n space group (phase I), whereas the smaller Ln(III) ions (Tb–Yb, 8–13) crystallize in the triclinic P-1 space group (phase II). Both phases present a (6,3)-2-D topology but show important differences derived from the different coordination number of the Ln(III) in both phases. In phase I, the Ln(III) ions are nine-coordinate with a tri-capped trigonal prism geometry and rectangular cavities with no solvent molecules. In phase II, the Ln(III) ions are eight-coordinate with a triangular dodecahedral geometry and distorted hexagonal cavities having two water molecules. These differences are due to the lanthanoid contraction. The magnetic properties show that the Ln(III) ions are isolated and do not present any noticeable magnetic interactions as expected for bromoanilato bridges and Ln(III) ions.     

Major terpenoids from Telekia speciosa flowers and their cytotoxic activity in vitro

In addition to known constituents of Telekia speciosa, an acetone extract from ray florets of the plant yielded: 5,5?-dibutoxy-2,2?-bifuran (1), 5,5?-diisobutoxy-2,2?-bifuran (2), α-tocopherol (3), β-tocopherol (4), loliolide palmitate (5), a mixture of calenduladiol esters - 16β-hydroxylupeol-3-O-palmitate (7) and 16β-hydroxylupeol-3-O-myristate (8), 1-epiinuviscolide (12), inuviscolide (13), 3-epiisotelekin (16), 4α-hydroxy-9β,10β-epoxy-1β(H)-11(13)-guaien-8α,12-olide (17), 4α-hydroxy-1β(H)-9(10),11(13)-guaiadien-8α,12-olide (18), loliolide (19) and 4β,10β-dihydroxy-1α(H),5α(H)-11(13)-guaien-8α,12-olide (20). Calenduladiol esters and asperilin (14) were the major constituents of the extract. Their cytotoxic effect on human normal prostate epithelial cells (PNT-2), human prostate carcinoma cell lines, human skin fibroblasts (HSF) and human melanoma cell lines was examined in vitro. Triterpene esters showed no cytotoxicity against nearly all cell lines tested, except for Du145 prostate carcinoma cells (IC₅₀ – 62.0 μΜ). Asperilin displayed activity against the cell lines under study, especially against three tested lines of melanomas (A375, IC₅₀ – 17.6 μΜ, WM793, IC₅₀ – 28.2 μΜ and Hs 294T, IC₅₀ – 29.5 μΜ).     

Studies on the constituents of the green alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ulva lactuca</Emphasis>

Phytochemical investigations on a marine green alga Ulva lactuca led to the isolation of two new compounds (E)-6-heptacosen-5-one (1) and (E)-6-octadecen-5-ol (2), along with four known compounds, (Z)-10-hexacosene (3), docosanoic acid (4), palmitic acid (5), and isofucosterol (6). Compounds 3 and 4 were isolated for the first time from this species. The structures of the compounds were deduced with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques.     

A new butanolide from the leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cinnamomum reticulatum</Emphasis>

A new butanolide, isoreticulide ((4R,3E)-4-hydroxy-5-methylene-3-octadecylidenedihydrofuran-2-one) (1), along with nine compounds including one sesquiterpenoid, (3-methoxy-5H-9,11dioxabenzo[3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-f])inden-7-yl)-methanol (2); six benzenoids, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4), protocatechuic acid (5), ferulic acid (6), trans-methyl p-coumarate (7), and p-dihydrocoumaric acid (8), and two amides, N-trans-feruloyltyramine (9) and dihydroferuloyltyramine (10), were isolated from the leaves of Cinnamomum reticulatum Hayata (Lauraceae). These compounds were characterized and identified by physical and spectral evidence.     

A new 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene from Dendrobium moniliforme

A new 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene,1,5-dihydroxy-3,4,7-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (1) was isolated and identified from the whole plants of Dendrobium moniliforme, as well as 24 known compounds including hircinol (2), (2R^*,3S^*)-3-hydroxymethyl-9-methoxy-2-(4′-hydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-phenanthro[4,3-b]furan-5,11-diol (3), diospyrosin (4), aloifol I (5), moscatilin (6), 3,4′-dihydroxy-3′,4,5-trimethoxybibenzyl (7), gigantol (8), 3,3′-dihydroxy-4,5-dimethoxybibenzyl (9), longicornuol A (10), N-trans-cinnamoyltyramine (11), paprazine (12), N-trans-feruloyl 3′-O-methyldopamine (13), moupinamide (14), dihydroconiferyl dihydro-p-coumarate (15), dihydrosinapyl dihydro-p-coumarate (16), 3-isopropyl-5-acetoxycyclohexene-2-one-1 (17), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (18), vanillin (19), p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (20), vanillic acid (21), protocatechuic acid (22), (+)-syringaresinol (23), β-sitosterol (24) and daucosterol (25). Compounds 3, 4, 13, 16, 17 and 20 were isolated from the Dendrobium genus for the first time, and compounds 2, 5, 7, 9–12, 14, 15, 18, 21 and 22 were originally obtained from D. moniliforme.     

Five unusual natural carbohydrates from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Actinosynnema pretiosum</Emphasis>

Five unusual hexose derivatives were isolated from the carbohydrate portion of the solid-state fermentation extract of Actinosynnema pretiosum ssp. auranticum ATCC 31565, which is a producing strain of maytansinoids that are a family of 19-membered macrocyclic lactams having extraordinary cytotoxic and antineoplastic activities. Their structures were determined to be 2-deoxy-α-D-arabino-hexopyranose (1), 2-deoxy-β-D-arabino-hexopyranose (2), 3,6-anhydro-2-deoxy-α-D-arabino-hexcofuranose (3), 3,6-anhydro-2-deoxy-β-D-arabino-hexofuranose (4), and 2-(D-glycerol-1,2-dihydroxyethyl)furan (5) by NMR spectroscopic experiments. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 481–483, September-October, 2008.     

Chemical constituents isolated from the fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monascus</Emphasis> sp.

Further study of a 95% EtOH extract of red mold rice fermented with the yellow mutant of the fungus Monascus sp. led to the isolation of one new chroman derivative, namely monascuskaochroman (1), together with nine known compounds. The structure of the new compound was determined as 4-(1-hydroxy-1-methyl- ethyl)-chroman-4-carboxylic acid amide. The known compounds were identified as monascin (2), ankaflavin (3), (3R,6R,7E)-(+)-3-hydroxy-4,7-megstigmadien-9-one (4), vanillin (5), syringic acid (6), 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (7), trans-methyl p-coumarate (8), ferulic acid (9), and methyl N-methyl anthranylate (10).This is the first report of a naturally occurring chroman skeleton isolated from Monascus species. Compounds 4–10 were isolated from this species for the first time. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy together with HR-ESI-MS analysis, and comparison of the spectroscopic data with those reported for structurally related compounds.     

A new sesquiterpene from Kalimeris integrifolia

A new sesquiterpene kalinturoside A (1), and 17 known compounds friedelan-3-ol (2), 24-ethyl-5a-cholesta-7, 22(E)-dien-3-one (3), friedelin (4), syringaresinol (5), α-spinasterol (6), ciwujiatone (7), syringic acid (8), scopoletin (9), apocynin (10), 1-(3-hydroxy-4, 5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethan-1-one (11), apigenin (12), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (13), stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucopy-ranoside (14), bidenoside C (15), citrusin (16), irioresinol A (17) and syringaresinol-4-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (18) were isolated from the herbs of Kalimeris integrifolia. The structures of these compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques such as NMR and MS. All of the compounds were isolated from this genus for the first time.     

Synthesis from geraniol of (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,6<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,10<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,14<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)-16-hydroxygeranylgeraniol and some of its derivatives

Several α,ω-bifunctional derivatives of E,E,E-geranylgeraniol were prepared via convergent synthesis starting with geraniol (8), which was converted in three steps into the tetrahydropyranyl ether of 8-chlorogeraniol (9) and 8-hydroxygeranylphenylsulfone (10). Combination of synthons 9 and 10 with subsequent reductive removal of the phenylsulfonyl group produced the tetrahydropyranyl ether of ω-hydroxygeranylgeraniol (5), hydrolysis of which gave exclusively trans-ω-hydroxygeranylgeraniol (1). Derivatives 5–7 of geranylgeraniol were synthesized using standard methods. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 231–234, May–June, 2007.     

Annelation of drotaverine by <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-quinones to form hydroxyindolo- and hydroxybenzindoloisoquinoline derivatives

1-(3, 4-Diethoxybenzyl)-6, 7-diethoxy-3, 4-dihydroisoquinoline (drotaverine, 1a) reacts with p-benzoquinone (2) and p-naphthoquinone (3) in nitromethane or during fusion to give 5-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-7, 8-diethoxy-3-hydroxy-5a, 10, 11, 12-tetrahydroindolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline (4) and 7-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-9, 10-diethoxy-5-hydroxy-7a, 12, 13, 14-tetrahydrobenz[g]indolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline (5), respectively. Compounds 4 and 5 are smoothly alkylated at the oxygen atom in the presence of bases. The structure of one alkylation product, viz., 3-allyloxy-5-(3, 4-diethoxyphenyl)-7, 8-diethoxy-5a, 10, 11, 12-tetrahydroindolo[2, 1-a]isoquinoline, was established by X-ray diffraction analysis.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 761–769, March, 2005.     

A new dihydrobenzofuran lignan and potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of isolated compounds from Mitrephora teysmannii

A new dihydrobenzofuran lignan, (2R,3S)-2-(3′,4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3-methyl acetate, named as mitredrusin (1), was isolated from the leaves of Mitrephora teysmannii (Annonaceae) together with 12 known compounds including a related dihydrobenzofuran lignan: (?)-3′,4-di-O-methylcedrusin (2), four polyacetylenic acids: 13(E)-octadecene-9,11-diynoic acid (3), 13(E),17-octadecadiene-9,11-diynoic acid (4), octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid (5) and octadeca-17-en-9,11,13-triynoic acid (6), five lignans: (?)-eudesmin (7), (?)-epieudesmin (8), (?)-phillygenin (9), magnone A (10) and forsythialan B (11) and two megastigmans: (3S,5R,6S,7E,9R)-7-megastigmene-3,6,9-triol (12) and annoionol A (13). The chemical structures of these compounds were established on the basis of their 1-D and 2-D NMR spectroscopic data. All compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Among these isolates, polyacetylenic acids 3 and 4 showed more than 20-fold much higher activity compared with that of the antidiabetic drug acarbose.     

Eremophilane sesquiterpenes from the endophytic fungus Xylaria sp. GDG-102

A new eremophilane sesquiterpene, xylareremophil (1), together with five known eremophilanes, 1α,10α-epoxy-3α-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-12,8β-olide (2), 1,10α,13-trihydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-12,8-olide (3), 1α,10α-epoxy-13-hydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-12,8β-olide (4), mairetolides B (5) and G (6) were isolated from the endophytic fungus Xylaria sp. GDG-102 cultured from Sophora tonkinensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. The absolute configurations of 1 was determined by comparing computed electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and optical rotation (OR) with experimental results. Compounds 1, 5 and 6 showed antibacterial activities against Proteus vulgaris, Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Bacillus subtilis with MIC values of 25–100 μg/mL.