The isolation and structure elucidation of a new sesquiterpene lactone from the poisonous plant Coriaria japonica (Coriariaceae)

A new sesquiterpene lactone named coriarin was isolated from achenes (seeds) of Coriaria japonica (Coriariaceae) along with known constituents tutin, dihydrotutin and corianin, and its structure was deduced on a spectroscopic basis. The structure of coriarin was finally confirmed by the base-catalized chemical conversion of tutin into coriarin, in which the lactone ring linkage was transposed from C-3 to C-2. Chemical investigation of sarcocarps was also undertaken in parallel, but neither sesquiterpene lactones nor related constituents were obtained. The results indicate that sesquiterpene lactones occur only in achenes of C. japonica berry, as is the case in other Coriaria species.