Two New Lycopodium Alkaloids from Lycopodium obscurum

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids, (+)‐cermizine D N‐oxide ( 1 ) and (8β)‐8‐(acetyloxy)obscurumine A ( 2 ), along with five known compounds, were isolated from the crude alkaloid portion of Lycopodium obscurum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical correlation. All of these alkaloids were tested in an assay for acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitory activity.     

Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Three new Lycopodium alkaloids, 2‐chlorohuperzine E ( 1 ), huperzines E′ ( 2 ), and F′ ( 3 ), along with two known compounds, huperzines E and F, were isolated from Huperzia serrata (Thunb .) Trev . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.     

Lycopodium Alkaloids from Lycopodium obscurum L.

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids, named obscurumines F and G ( 1 and 2 , resp.), together with eleven known alkaloids, were isolated from the club moss Lycopodium obscurum L. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses.     

Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Three new lycopodium alkaloids, huperserramines A–C ( 1 – 3 , resp.), along with 15 known ones, lycopodine‐6α,11α‐diol ( 4 ), lycoposerramine H ( 5 ), lycoposerramine I ( 6 ), lycopodine‐6α‐ol ( 7 ), lycoposerramine M ( 8 ), diphaladine A ( 9 ), lycoposerramine K ( 10 ), lycoposerramine W ( 11 ), huperzine M ( 12 ), luciduline ( 13 ), phlegmariuine N ( 14 ), huperzine A ( 15 ), huperzine B ( 16 ), lycodine ( 17 ), and lycoposerramine R ( 18 ), were isolated from the whole plant of Huperzia serrata. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including 2D‐NMR and MS analyses. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α‐glucosidase. As a result, lycopodine‐6α,11α‐diol ( 4 ) exhibited more potent α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 148±5.5 μM ) than the positive control acarbose (IC₅₀ 376.3±2.7 μM ).     

A New Alkaloid from Lycopodium japonicum Thunb.

A new alkaloid, miyoshianine C ( 1 ), was isolated from the whole plants of Lycopodium japonicum Thunb. , together with the known four compounds α‐obscurine ( 2 ), lycodoline ( 3 ), miyoshianine A ( 4 ), and lucidioline ( 5 ). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of in‐depth spectroscopic analysis.     

Lycodine‐Type Alkaloids from Lycopodium casuarinoides

Two new lycodine‐type alkaloids, huperzinine N‐oxide ( 1 ) and 8,15‐dihydrohuperzinine ( 2 ) as well as five known compounds, huperzinine ( 3 ), huperzine B ( 4 ), huperzine D ( 5 ), N‐demethylhuperzinine ( 6 ), and β‐obscurine ( 7 ), were isolated from the club moss Lycopodium casuarinoides. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical transformation. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by chemical correlation with 3 , and that of 2 was determined by its CD spectrum.     

Three New Lycopodium Alkaloids from Phlegmariurus fargesii

Three new Lycopodium alkaloids, fargesiines A – C ( 1  –  3 , resp.), along with a known compound ( 4 ), were isolated from the whole plants of Phlegmariurus fargesii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical correlations. Compounds 1  –  4 were tested in an assay for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity.     

Three New Triterpenoids from Lycopodium japonicum Thunb

Three new triterpenoids, (3β,8β,14α,21α)‐26,27‐dinoronocerane‐3,8,14,21‐tetrol ( 1 ), (3β,8β,14α,21β)‐26,27‐dinoronocerane‐3,8,14,21‐tetrol ( 2 ), and lycopodiin A ( 3 ), together with four known compounds, lycoclavanol ( 4 ), lycoclaninol ( 5 ), α‐onocerin ( 6 ), and 3‐epilycoclavanol ( 7 ), were isolated from Lycopodium japonicum Thunb (Lycopodiaceae). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 3 and 7 showed moderate antitumor activity. Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity.     

Malycorins A--C, New lycopodium alkaloids from Lycopodium phlegmaria

A novel C(19)N-type Lycopodium alkaloid, malycorin A (1) consisting of a serratinane skeleton with 2-propanol unit has been isolated from the club moss Lycopodium phlegmaria, together with two new C(16)N-type alkaloids, malycorins B (2) and C (3), and the structures and relative stereochemistry were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data.     

Two Novel Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Huperzine Q ( 1 ) and N‐oxyhuperzine Q ( 2 ), two novel irregular fawcettimine‐type Lycopodium alkaloids were isolated from the CHCl₃ fraction of the basic material of the whole plant of the Chinese medicinal herb Huperzia serrata. Their structures were determined as 13‐epi‐13β,16‐epoxydihydrofawcettimine ( 1 ) and N‐oxy‐13‐epi‐13β,16‐epoxydihydrofawcettimine ( 2 ) by means of spectroscopic studies and X‐ray crystallographic analysis.     

A New Lycopodine-type Alkaloid from Lycopodium japonicum

A new lycopodine-type alkaloid, 12β-hydroxy-acetylfawcettiine N-oxide (1), together with seven known analogues, acetyllycoposerramine M (2), lycopodine (3), lycoclavine (4), diphaladine A (5), lycoposerramine K (6), 11β-hydroxy-12-epilycodoline (7) and fawcettiine (8), were isolated from Lycopodium japonicum. Their structures were established by mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The isolated alkaloids were assayed for their inhibition activities against acetylcholinesterase, but no inhibitory activities for the compounds were detected.     

Japonicumins A–D: Four New Compounds from Lycopodium japonicum

Three new serratane‐type triterpenoids, japonicumins A–C ( 1 – 3 ), as well as a unique, new C₁₃ terpenoid, japonicumin D ( 4 ), were isolated from the dried whole plants of Lycopodium japonicum, together with the known compound lycoclavanol ( 5 ). Their structures were identified by extensive mass‐spectrometric and spectroscopic (especially 2D‐NMR) experiments. Compounds 1 – 5 exhibited no activity against human‐tumor A 549 cells.     

Lycopodine‐Type Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Eleven Lycopodium alkaloids with a lycopodine‐type skeleton were isolated from the basic material of the whole plant of Huperzia serrata (Thunb .) Trev. (Huperziaceae). Among them, 12‐epilycodoline N‐oxide (=(12α,15R)‐12‐hydroxy‐15‐methyllycopodan‐5‐one N‐oxide; 1 ), 7‐hydroxylycopodine (=(15S)‐7‐hydroxy‐15‐methyllycopodan‐5‐one; 2 ), and 4,6α‐dihydroxylycopodine (=(6α,15R)‐4,6‐dihydroxy‐15‐methyllycopodan‐5‐one; 3 ) are new compounds. Their structures were identified spectroscopically, especially by means of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR.     

Isolation of a new lycodine alkaloid from Lycopodium japonicum

A new lycodine alkaloid, N-methylhydroxypropyllycodine (1), was isolated from the club moss Lycopodium japonicum Thunb, together with five known compounds, N-methyllycodine (2), huperzinine (3), β-obscurine (4), α-obscurine (5) and des-N-methyl-α-obscurine (6). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR techniques.     

Lycopodium alkaloids—VII Lycofoline and related bases

Lycofoline and its naturally occurring acetyl derivatives have been correlated to acrifoline. The structures and sterochemistry of these bases is discussed.     

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids from Phlegmariurus phlegmaria (L.) Holub

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids, 4β-hydroxynankakurine B (1) and Δ^13,N,N_α-methylphlegmarine-N_β-oxide (2), together with three known analogues, lycoposerramine E (3), nankakurine B (4) and lobscurinol (5), were isolated from Phlegmariurus phlegmaria. Their structures were established by mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR techniques.     

Structure elucidation and synthesis of lycoposerramine-B, a novel oxime-containing Lycopodium alkaloid from Lycopodium serratum Thunb

A new alkaloid, lycoposerramine-B (1), containing an oxime function, was isolated from the club moss Lycopodium serratum Thunb. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, including J-resolved HMBC spectroscopy, and confirmed by its synthesis from the known alkaloid, serratinine (3).     

A new serratane-type triterpene from Lycopodium phlegmaria

A new serratane-type triterpene, lycophlegmarin (1), has been isolated from Lycopodium phlegmaria L. Four known related triterpenoids were also found from the title plant. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis and chemical method. Lycophlegmarin exhibited modest growth-inhibitory activity in vitro against human hepatoma cells BEL 7402.     

The Lycopodium alkaloids

Lycopodium alkaloids are quinolizine, or pyridine and alpha-pyridone type alkaloids. Some Lycopodium alkaloids are potent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Huperzine A (HupA) is reported to increase efficiency for learning and memory in animals, and it shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). 201 Lycopodium alkaloids from 54 species of Lycopodium (sensu lato) have been reported so far. This review is intended to to cover the chemical, pharmacological and clinical research on Lycopodium alkaloids reported in the literature from the spring of 1993 to August 2004. Structures of 81 new Lycopodium alkaloids are presented, classified and analyzed. The structural characters and biogenetic relationships of the four major Lycopodium alkaloid groups (lycopodine, lycodine, fawcettimine and miscellaneous) are discussed. Bioactivities of Lycopodium alkaloids, especially HupA, are summarized. In particular, the effect of HupA and other cholinesterase inhibitors (anti-AD drugs) on acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity in the rat cortex and butylcholine esterase activity are compared. Structure-activity relationships and structure modifications of HupA and its analogs are described. Information on clinical trials with HupA and its derivative ZT-1 is presented. The state of HupA availability and recent advances in in vitro propagation of HupA producing plants are outlined. Finally, hypotheses about Lycopodium alkaloid biosynthetic pathways are discussed.     

Asymmetric total syntheses of two phlegmarine-type alkaloids, lycoposerramines-V and -W, newly isolated from Lycopodium serratum

Two new Phlegmarine-type alkaloids, lycoposerramines-V and -W, were isolated from Lycopodium serratum, and their structures including the absolute configuration were established by asymmetric total synthesis involving such key steps as Johnson-Claisen rearrangement, asymmetric allylation, and ring-closing metathesis (RCM)- or SmI(2)-mediated stereoselective piperidine ring construction.