Carbazole-pyranocoumarin conjugate and two carbazole alkaloids from the stems of Clausena excavata

A carbazole-pyranocoumarin conjugate, carbazomarin B (1), and two carbazole alkaloids, 6-methoxymukonidine (2) and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbazole (3), together with 27 known compounds (4–30), were isolated from the stems of Clausena excavata. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Compound 2 showed moderate cytotoxicity to HuCCA-1, MOLT-3 and HepG2 cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 15.09–28.50 μg/mL, but none to A549 cell line. Heptaphylline (6) and nordentatin (23) were found to show moderate cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cell line with IC₅₀ values of 12.33 and 11.33, respectively, while clausine K (27) exhibited strong cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ value of 1.05 μg/mL, better than a standard drug (etoposide, IC₅₀ 13.40 μg/mL).     

Potential anti-inflammatory diterpenes from Premna obtusifolia

Eleven new diterpenoids: pimaranes (1,2), rosanes (3) abietanes (4–7), icetexanes (8), and rearranged icetexanes (9–11), together with fifteen known diterpenes (12–26) and two known sesquiterpenes (27,28) have been isolated from the roots and twigs of Premna obtusifolia. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallographic data of 8 and 9 were also determined. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of the isolates were evaluated.