Isolation and Characterization of Secondary Metabolites from Rhododendron microphyton

Four new iridoids, incarvoids D–F ( 1 – 3 , resp.) and incarvoid B 9‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 4 ), and one new monoterpenoid, argutoid B ( 5 ), along with 14 known compounds, were isolated from Rhododendron microphyton. Their structures were established by comprehensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopic analysis.     

Two New Constituents from Torricellia tiliifolia Stem Barks

A new iridoid, torrilliolide ( 1 ), and a new pyridine alkaloid, torricelline ( 2 ), were isolated from the stem barks of Torricellia tiliifolia. Their structures were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data. Both compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against Spodoptera litura cell line.     

Biologically Active Iridoids from Hedyotis diffusa

Two new iridoids, 10‐O‐benzoyl‐6′‐O‐α‐L ‐arabino(1→6)‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosylgeniposidic acid ( 1 ), deacetyl‐6‐ethoxyasperulosidic acid methyl ester ( 2 ), along with 14 other known iridoids, were isolated from the whole plant of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The short‐term‐memory‐enhancement activities of compounds 1, 7 – 9, 11 , and 13 were evaluated on an Aβ transgenic drosophila model.     

Ti(III)-mediated opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols to build five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres

Stereoselective construction of highly substituted five-membered carbocycles with multiple chiral centres is described. Sharpless kinetic resolution was applied as the key step to prepare the required 2,3-epoxy alcohols and a Ti(III) radical mediated opening of the epoxide ring followed by intramolecular trapping of the generated radical with a suitably placed α,β-unsaturated ester resulted in the formation of five-membered carbocycles with up to three consecutive new chiral centres stereoselectively fixed.     

Application of a New Program,H1MACH,for Prediction of Iridoid Skeletons

Abstract

A procedure is presented that utilizes ¹H NMR for prediction of the skeleton of iridoids. A new program was developed, named H1MACH, that presents a database with 800 data points from the ¹H NMR spectra of iridoids. This program was widely tested for the prediction of the skeleton of 40 compounds and compared with other programs in the expert system SISTEMAT. The results obtained show that H1MACH is very useful for the prediction of the skeleton of iridoids, especially for the iridane skeleton.     

C9‐Iridoids from Scrophularia buergeriana

Four new iridoids, buergerinins B–E ( 1 – 4 ), along with three known iridoids, were isolated from the roots of Scrophularia buergeriana. Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.     

New Chemical Constituents from Borreria verticillata (Rubiaceae)

A phytochemical study on Borreria verticillata has led to the isolation of two novel simple indole alkaloids, 6‐methoxy‐4‐(3‐methylbut‐2‐en‐1‐yl)‐1H‐indole, named verticillatine A ( 1 ), and 1‐(1H‐indol‐6‐yl)‐3‐methylbutan‐1‐one, named verticillatine B ( 2 ), one new iridoid, 6′‐O‐(2‐glyceryl)scandoside methyl ester ( 3 ), with the glycerol unit linked to a glucose unit, and two known ones, asperuloside ( 4 ) and scandoside methyl ester ( 5 ). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic‐data analyses, mainly ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, including 2D experiments (¹H,¹H‐COSY, NOESY, HMBC, and HMQC), and HR‐ESI‐MS.     

New Components Including Cyclopeptides from Barks of Christiana africana DC. (Tiliaceae)

Phytochemical investigation of barks of Christiana africana led to the identification of cyclopeptide alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarinolignans, iridoids, sesquiterpenoids, and triterpenes. This plant was classified so far in the Tiliaceae family. This study was started while the genomic study of numerous specimens was described in order to establish new criteria for Malvales botanical classification. In the present work, twenty components were identified, belonging to the three major classes of secondary metabolites: alkaloids, phenols, and terpenes. In the first class, cyclopeptides are well‐known compounds in Rhamnaceae and Sterculiaceae. Their presence in Malvaceae (in APG2 sensus) suggests a possible chemical link between the ex‐Tiliaceae and the Malvaceae.     

Two New Indole Alkaloids from Emmenopterys henryi

Two new indole alkaloids, 5‐oxodolichantoside ( 1 ) and deglycocadambine ( 2 ), were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Emmenopterys henryi, together with four known indole alkaloids and five known iridoids. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments, and confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. This is the first report on the isolation of indole alkaloids from this species. The indole alkaloids were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against five human cancer lines.     

Iridoids from the Bark of Alstonia scholaris

Four new 11‐noriridoids named scholareins A–D ( 1 – 4 ), along with three known derivatives, isoboonein ( 5 ), alyxialactone ( 6 ), and loganin ( 7 ), were isolated from EtOH extracts of the bark of Alstonia scholaris by chromatographic methods. Their structures were identified by extensive mass‐spectrometric and spectroscopic (especially 2D‐NMR) experiments.