Extraction and Crystal Structure of Karounidiol

1 INTRODUCTION Karounidiol is a natural pentacyclic triterpene compound, which was identified as a novel compound initially from the Japanese commercial seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (Fam. Cucurbitaceae)1], and then isolated from the Chinese commercial seeds of T. kirilowii Maxim. and T. rosthornii Harms2, 3] and the Japanese wild plant seeds of T. cucumeroides (Ser.) Maxim.4]. It has not been isolated from other plants up to now, so we are thinking about how to use th…

Extraction and Crystal Structure of Karounidiol

The title compound of karounidiol (C30H48O2), a main active triterpene component of snakegourd seed, was isolated from unsaponifiable matter of the seed oil of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in orthorhombic system, space group P212121 with C30H48O2·CH3OH·H2O (C31H54O4), a = 7.515(1), b = 14.407(1), c = 27.799(2) （A。）, V = 3009.8(5)（A。）3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.087 g/cm3, Mr = 490.77, F(000) = 1088 and μ = 0.086 mm－1. The final R = 0.0840 and wR = 0.2289 for 2752 observed reflections (|F|2 ≥ 2σ|F|2). The molecular crystal structure of karounidiol shows relative stereochemistry of (3α,13α,14β, 20α)-3,29-dihydroxy-13-methyl-26-norolean-7,9(11)-diene. The molecule is composed of five six- membered rings with ring junctures of A/B trans, C/D trans and D/E cis.