Two New Sesquiterpene Polyol Esters from Celastrus angulatus

Two novel sesquiterpene polyol esters with a dihydro‐β‐agarofuran (=(3R,5aS,9R,9aS)‐octahydro‐2,2,5a,9‐tetramethyl‐2H‐3,9a‐methano‐1‐benzoxepin) skeleton, (1α,2α,4β,8α,9α)‐1,2,8,12‐tetrakis(acetyloxy)‐9‐(furoyloxy)‐4‐hydroxydihydro‐β‐agarofuran ( 1 ) and (1α,2α,6β,8α,9α)‐1,2,6,8,12‐pentakis(acetyloxy)‐9‐(benzoyloxy)dihydro‐β‐agarofuran ( 2 ), and the three known compounds (1α,2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)‐1,2,6‐tris(acetyloxy)‐9‐(benzoyloxy)‐4‐hydroxy‐8,12‐bis(isobutyryloxy)dihydro‐β‐agarofuran ( 3 ), (1α, 2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)‐1,2,6,8‐tetrakis(acetyloxy)‐9‐(furoyloxy)‐4‐hydroxy‐12‐isobutyryloxy)dihydro‐β‐agarofuran ( 4 ), and (1α,2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)‐1,2,6‐tris(acetyloxy)‐9‐(benzoyloxy)‐4‐hydroxy‐8‐(isobutyryloxy)‐12‐[(2‐methylbutanoyl)oxy]dihydro‐β‐agarofuran ( 5 ) were isolated from the root bark of Celastrus angulatus. Their chemical structures were elucidated by analyses of their MS and NMR data.     

Tetranortriterpenoids from Clausena excavata

Five new tetranortriterpenoids, (11β)‐21,23‐dihydro‐11,21‐dihydroxy‐23‐oxoobacunone (=21,23‐dihydro‐21‐hydroxy‐23‐oxozapoterin; 2 ), (11β)‐21,23‐dihydro‐11,23‐dihydroxy‐21‐oxoobacunone (=21,23‐dihydro‐23‐hydroxy‐21‐oxozapoterin; 3 ), (1α,11β)‐1,2,21,23‐tetrahydro‐1,11,23‐trihydroxy‐21‐oxoobacunone (=21,23‐dihydro‐23‐hydroxy‐21‐oxoclausenarin; 4 ), (1α,11β)‐23‐ethoxy‐1,2,21,23‐tetrahydro‐1,11‐dihydroxy‐21‐oxoobacunone (=23‐ethoxy‐21,23‐dihydro‐21‐oxoclausenarin; 5 ); (11β)‐1,2,21,23‐tetrahydro‐11,23‐dihydroxy‐21‐oxoobacunoic acid; 6 ), were isolated from the aerial part of Clausena excavata Burm. f. (Rutaceae). All compounds possessed 3,4‐seco skeletons. Their structures were established by spectroscopic studies. Tetranortriterpenoids with a 4‐hydroxybut‐2‐eno‐4‐lactone moiety are rarely found in the genus Clausena.     

Sterols from the Stems of Momordica charantia

A new sterol, 5α,6α‐epoxy‐3β‐hydroxy‐(22E,24R)‐ergosta‐8,22‐dien‐7‐one ( 1 ), together with eight known sterols, 5α,6α‐epoxy‐(22E,24R)‐ergosta‐8,22‐diene‐3β,7α‐diol ( 2 ), 5α,6α‐epoxy‐(22E,24R)‐ergosta‐8,22‐diene‐3β,7β‐diol ( 3 ), 5α,6α‐epoxy‐(22E,24R)‐ergosta‐8(14),22‐diene‐3β,7α‐diol ( 4 ), 3β‐hydroxy‐(22E,24R)‐ergosta‐5,8,22‐trien‐7‐one ( 5 ), ergosterol peroxide ( 6 ), clerosterol ( 7 ), decortinol ( 8 ), and decortinone ( 9 ), were isolated from the stems of Momordica charantia. Their structures were elucidated by mean of extensive spectroscopic methods, including ¹H, ¹³C, 2D‐NMR and HR‐EI‐MS, as well as comparison with the literature data. Compounds 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 , and 91 were not cytotoxic against the SK‐Hep 1 cell line.     

New Steryl Esters of Fatty Acids from the Mangrove Fungus Aspergillus awamori

The polyhydroxylated ergostane‐type sterol 9 , its derivatives 10 – 15 , and the fatty acid esters 1 – 8 were isolated from a fungus strain which was collected from mangrove areas at Wenchang, Hainan Province, P. R. China, exhibited potent cytotoxic activity, and was identified as Aspergillus awamori. The structures of 1 – 15 were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Among them, the six steryl esters 1 – 6 of fatty acids were new compounds, i.e., (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐palmitate ( 1 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐stearate ( 2 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐oleate ( 3 ), (3β,5α,6α,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐linoleate ( 4 ), (3β,5α,6β,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐palmitate ( 5 ), and (3β,5α,6β,22E)‐ergosta‐7,22‐diene‐3,5,6‐triol 6‐stearate ( 6 ). The related known fatty acids stearic acid (=octadecanoic acid) and palmitic acid (=octadecanoic acid) were also obtained. A speculative biogenetic relationship of the metabolites is proposed. The known polyhydroxylated sterols and derivatives showed cytotoxic activities, in agreement with earlier reports. The cytotoxic activities against B16 and SMMC‐7721 cell lines of the new steryl esters 1 – 6 by the MTT method were weak.     

Convenient Entry to α‐Amino‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐methyl Carboxylic Acids. Diastereoselective Formation and Directed Homogeneous Hydrogenation of 3‐(3‐Aryl‐1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enyl)‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones

Aldol reaction of 7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐one ( 1 ) with 4‐substituted α‐methylcinnamaldehydes 2 – 5 afforded a mixture of threo‐ and erythro‐3‐(3‐aryl‐1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylprop‐2‐enyl)‐7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones 6 – 13 . The chromatographically separated threo diastereoisomers 6, 8, 10 , and 12 and erythro diastereoisomers 7, 9, 11 , and 13 were submitted to ‘directed' homogeneous hydrogenation catalyzed by [Rh^I(cod)(diphos‐4)]ClO₄ (cod=cycloocta‐1,5‐diene, diphos‐4=butane‐1,4‐diylbis[diphenylphosphine]. From the erythro‐racemates 9, 11 , and 13 , the erythro,erythro/erythro,threo‐diastereoisomer mixtures 16 / 17, 20 / 21 , and 24 / 25 were obtained in ratios of 20 : 80 to 28 : 72 (HPLC), which were separated by chromatography. From the threo racemates 8, 10 , and 12 , the threo,threo/threo,erythro‐diastereoisomer mixtures were obtained in a ratio of ca. 25 : 75 (¹H‐NMR). The relative configurations were assigned by means of ¹H‐NMR data and X‐ray crystal‐structure determination of 21 . Hydrolysis of 21 afforded the diastereoisomerically pure N‐(benzyloxy)carbonyl derivative 27 of α‐amino‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐methylpentanoic acid 26 , representative of the novel group of polysubstituted α‐amino‐β‐hydroxycarboxylic acids.     

New Cholinesterase‐Inhibiting Steroidal Alkaloids from Sarcococca saligna

Seven new steroidal alkaloids, 2‐hydroxysalignarine‐E (=(2′E,20S)‐20‐(dimethylamino)‐2β‐hydroxy‐3β‐(tigloylamino)pregn‐4‐ene; 1 ), 5,6‐dihydrosarconidine (=(20S)‐20‐(dimethylamino)‐3β‐(methylamino)‐5α‐pregn‐16‐ene; 2 ), salignamine (=(20S)‐20‐(methylamino)‐3β‐methoxypregna‐5,16‐diene; 3 ), 2‐hydroxysalignamine (=(20S)‐20‐(dimethylamino)‐2β‐hydroxy‐3β‐methoxypregna‐5,16‐diene; 4 ), salignarine‐F (=(2′E, 20S)‐20‐(dimethylamino)‐4β‐hydroxy‐3β‐(tigloylamino)pregn‐5‐ene; 5 ), salonine‐C (=(2′E,20S)‐20‐(dimethylamino)‐3β‐(tigloylamino)pregna‐4,14‐diene; 6 ), and N‐[formyl(methyl)amino]salonine‐B (=(20S)‐20‐[formyl(methyl)amino]‐3β‐methoxypregna‐5,16‐diene; 7 ) have been isolated from the MeOH extract of Sarcococca saligna, along with the six known alkaloids dictyophlebine ( 8 ), epipachysamine‐D ( 9 ), saracosine ( 10 ), iso‐N‐formylchonemorphine ( 11 ), sarcodinine ( 12 ), and alkaloid‐C ( 13 ). The structures of 1 – 7 were deduced from spectral data. Compounds 1 – 13 demonstrated significant activity against acetyl‐ and butyrylcholinesterase.     

Comparison of sulfo‐conjugated and gluco‐conjugated urinary metabolites for detection of methenolone misuse in doping control by LC‐HRMS,GC‐MS and GC‐HRMS

Methenolone (17β‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐5α‐androst‐1‐en‐3‐one) misuse in doping control is commonly detected by monitoring the parent molecule and its metabolite (1‐methylene‐5α‐androstan‐3α‐ol‐17‐one) excreted conjugated with glucuronic acid using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) for the parent molecule, after hydrolysis with β‐glucuronidase. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the sulfate fraction of methenolone metabolism by LC‐high resolution (HR)MS and the estimation of the long‐term detectability of its sulfate metabolites analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐HRMSMS) compared with the current practice for the detection of methenolone misuse used by the anti‐doping laboratories. Methenolone was administered to two healthy male volunteers, and urine samples were collected up to 12 and 26 days, respectively. Ethyl acetate extraction at weak alkaline pH was performed and then the sulfate conjugates were analyzed by LC‐HRMS using electrospray ionization in negative mode searching for [M‐H]^? ions corresponding to potential sulfate structures (comprising structure alterations such as hydroxylations, oxidations, reductions and combinations of them). Eight sulfate metabolites were finally detected, but four of them were considered important as the most abundant and long term detectable. LC clean up followed by solvolysis and GC/MS analysis of trimethylsilylated (TMS) derivatives reveal that the sulfate analogs of methenolone as well as of 1‐methylene‐5α‐androstan‐3α‐ol‐17‐one, 3z‐hydroxy‐1β‐methyl‐5α‐androstan‐17‐one and 16β‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐5α‐androst‐1‐ene‐3,17‐dione were the major metabolites in the sulfate fraction. The results of the present study also document for the first time the methenolone sulfate as well as the 3z‐hydroxy‐1β‐methyl‐5α‐androstan‐17‐one sulfate as metabolites of methenolone in human urine. The time window for the detectability of methenolone sulfate metabolites by LC‐HRMS is comparable with that of their hydrolyzed glucuronide analogs analyzed by GC‐MS. The results of the study demonstrate the importance of sulfation as a phase II metabolic pathway for methenolone metabolism, proposing four metabolites as significant components of the sulfate fraction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel ent‐Abietane Diterpenoids from Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora

Two novel ent‐abietane diterpenoids, 3α,20‐epoxy‐6β‐hydroxy‐1,7‐dioxo‐ent‐abiet‐15(17)‐en‐16‐oic acid ( 1 ) and ent‐abieta‐7,15(17)‐diene‐3β,16,18‐triol ( 2 ) were isolated from Isodon eriocalyx var. laxiflora. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis and confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Compound 1 is an unprecedented example that establishes that a naturally occurring ent‐abietane diterpenoid can have an oxygenation pattern almost identical to those of 3α,20‐epoxy‐ent‐kaurane diterpenoids.     

Tri‐ and Bicyclic Taxoids from the Taiwanese Yew Taxus sumatrana

Five new taxoids, including a new 2(3→20)‐abeo‐taxane with a 6/10/6‐membered ring system and four 3,8‐seco‐taxanes having a 6/12‐membered ring system, were isolated from an acetone extract of the leaves and twigs of the Taiwanese yew (Taxus sumatrana, Taxaceae). The structures were established as 2α,7β,10α‐triacetoxy‐5α‐hydroxy‐2(3→20)‐abeo‐taxa‐4(20),11‐dien‐9,13‐dione ( 1 ), (3E,8E)‐2α,9,10β, 13α,20‐pentaacetoxy‐7β‐hydroxy‐3,8‐secotaxa‐3,8,11‐trien‐5‐one ( 2 ), (3E,8E)‐2α,9,10β,13α,20‐pentaacetoxy‐5α,7β‐dihydroxy‐3,8‐secotaxa‐3,8,11‐triene ( 3 ), (3E,8E)‐9,10β,13α‐triacetoxy‐2α,7β,20‐trihydroxy‐5α‐[(2E)‐cinnamoyloxy]‐3,8‐secotaxa‐3,8,11‐triene ( 4 ), and (3E,8E)‐2α,5α,7β,9,10β,13α‐hexaacetoxy‐20‐hydroxy‐3,8‐secotaxa‐3,8,11‐triene ( 5 ), respectively, on the basis 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectral analyses. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds 1 – 5 against four human tumor cell lines, including HeLa (cervical epitheloid), WiDr (colon), Daoy (medulloblastoma), and Hep2 (liver carcinoma) tumor cells was evaluated. Whereas compounds 1 – 3 were inactive, the novel taxanes 4 and 5 showed significant cytotoxicity.     

Habaenines A and B,Two New Norditerpenoid Alkaloids from Aconitum habaense

Two new norditerpenoid alkaloids, habaenine A and B ( 1 and 2 ), together with two known compounds, were isolated from Aconitum habaense. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral analyses as (1α,6α,16β)‐8‐(acetyloxy)‐20‐ethyl‐13‐hydroxy‐1,6,16‐trimethoxy‐4‐(methoxymethyl)‐19‐oxoaconitan‐14‐yl 4‐methoxybenzoate ( 1 ) and (1α,6α,16β)‐8‐(acetyloxy)‐13‐hydroxy‐1,6,16‐trimethoxy‐4‐(methoxymethyl)‐aconitan‐14‐yl 4‐methoxybenzoate ( 2 ).     

Identification of phase I and II metabolites of the new designer drug α‐pyrrolidinohexiophenone (α‐PHP) in human urine by liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐QTOF‐MS)

Pyrrolidinophenones represent one emerging class of newly encountered drugs of abuse, also known as ‘new psychoactive substances’, with stimulating psychoactive effects. In this work, we report on the detection of the new designer drug α‐pyrrolidinohexiophenone (α‐PHP) and its phase I and II metabolites in a human urine sample of a drug abuser. Determination and structural elucidation of these metabolites have been achieved by liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐QTOF‐MS). By tentative identification, the exact and approximate structures of 19 phase I metabolites and nine phase II glucuronides were elucidated. Major metabolic pathways revealed the reduction of the ß‐keto moieties to their corresponding alcohols, didesalkylation of the pyrrolidine ring, hydroxylation and oxidation of the aliphatic side chain leading to n‐hydroxy, aldehyde and carboxylate metabolites, and oxidation of the pyrrolidine ring to its lactam followed by ring cleavage and additional hydroxylation, reduction and oxidation steps and combinations thereof. The most abundant phase II metabolites were glucuronidated ß‐keto‐reduced alcohols. Besides the great number of metabolites detected in this sample, α‐PHP is still one of the most abundant ions together with its ß‐keto‐reduced alcoholic dihydro metabolite. Monitoring of these metabolites in clinical and forensic toxicology may unambiguously prove the abuse of the new designer drug α‐PHP. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Further Withaphysalin Derivatives from Acnistus arborescens

Two new epimeric chlorinated withaphysalins, rel‐(4β,5β,6α,18S,22R)‐ and rel‐(4β,5β,6α,18R,22R)‐6‐chloro‐18,20‐epoxy‐18‐ethoxy‐4,5‐dihydroxy‐1‐oxowitha‐2,24‐diene‐26,22‐lactone ( 1 and 2 resp.), together with the new rel‐(4β,5β,6α,18R,22R)‐6‐chloro‐18,20‐epoxy‐4,5‐dihydroxy‐18‐methoxy‐1‐oxowitha‐2,24‐diene‐26,22‐lactone ( 3 ) and rel‐(3β,4β,5β,6β,18R,22R)‐5,6:18,20‐diepoxy‐3,18‐diethoxy‐4‐hydroxy‐1‐oxowith‐24‐ene‐26,22‐lactone ( 4 ) were isolated from the leaves of Acnistus arborescens and named withaphysalins T–W, respectively. The final structures and the complete ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR assignments of the three chlorowithaphysalins 1 – 3 were performed by means of HR‐ESI‐MS and 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments, including COSY, HSQC, and HMBC, beside comparison with spectral data of analogous compounds from the literature. The structure of 4 was also confirmed by means of a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

Antitumor Sesquiterpenes from Euonymus nanoides

The isolation, structure elucidation, and antitumor activity of four new sesquiterpene polyol esters, i.e., of 6α,13‐bis(acetyloxy)‐9β‐(cinnamoyloxy)‐1β‐(furan‐3‐ylcarbonyl)oxy]‐4α‐hydroxy‐β‐dihydroagarofuran ( 1 ), 13‐(acetyloxy)‐9β‐(benzoyloxy)‐4α‐hydroxy‐1β,6α‐bis[(2‐methylbutanoyl)oxy]‐β‐dihydroagarofuran ( 2 ), 1β,6α,13‐ tri(acetyloxy)‐9β‐(cinnamoyloxy)‐4α‐hydroxy‐β‐dihydroagarofuran ( 3 ), and 6α,13‐bis(acetyloxy)‐9β‐(benzoyloxy)‐4α‐hydroxy‐1β‐[(2‐methylbutanoyl)oxy]‐β‐dihydroagarofuran ( 4 ), and of five known sesquiterpene polyol esters 5 – 9 from the seed oil of Euonymus nanoides Loes. are reported (β‐dihydroagarofuran=octahydro‐2,2,5a,9‐tetramethyl‐2H‐3,9a‐methano‐1‐benzoxepin).     

syn/anti Diastereoselectivity in the Aldol Reaction of Aldehydes with the C(3) Carbanion of 1,3‐Dihydro‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐one

The aldol reaction of the C(3) carbanion of 7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐one ( 2 ) with a series of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes at −78° afforded threo/erythro diastereoisomers 3 – 16 of 7‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)‐1‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepinones, substituted at the C(3) side chain, in a ratio from 55 : 45 to 94 : 6 (Scheme 1). Lewis acids exhibited limited effect on the syn/anti diastereoselectivity of this reaction, and kinetic control of the reaction was confirmed. ¹H‐NMR Data suggested the assignment of the threo relative configuration to the first‐eluted diastereoisomers 3 , 5 , 7 , and 9 on reversed‐phase HPLC, and the erythro configuration to the second‐eluted counterparts 4 , 6 , 8 , and 10 , respectively. The structures and relative configurations threo and erythro of the diastereoisomers 5 and 6 , respectively, were established by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, confirming the assignment based on the ¹H‐NMR data. A tentative mechanistic explanation of the diastereoselectivity invokes the enolate anion of 1,3‐dihydro‐2H‐1,4‐benzodiazepin‐2‐one as the reactive species (Scheme 2). Acid‐catalyzed hydrolytic ring opening of 3 afforded threo‐β‐hydroxy‐phenylalanine 17 , whereas from 4 , the N‐(benzyloxy)carbonyl derivative 18 of erythro‐β‐hydroxy‐phenylalanine was obtained (Scheme 3); in both cases, neither elimination of H₂O from the C(3)−CHOH moiety nor epimerization at C(3) were observed. This result opens a new pathway to various configurationally uniform α‐amino‐β‐hydroxy carboxylic acids and their congeners of biological importance.     

Reactions of Acid Chlorides/Ketenes with 2‐Substituted 4,5‐Dihydro‐4,4‐dimethyl‐1,3‐thiazoles: Formation of Penam Derivatives

Addition reactions of acid chlorides with various 2‐substituted 4,5‐dihydro‐4,4‐dimethyl‐5‐(methylsulfanyl)‐1,3‐thiazoles under basic conditions were studied. Two kinds of products were obtained from these additions, β‐lactams and non‐β‐lactam adducts. When the reaction was carried out with 4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazoles with a Ph substituent at C(2), the reaction proceeded via formal [2+2] cycloaddition and led to the correspoding β‐lactam. On the other hand, acid chlorides and 4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐thiazoles bearing an α‐H‐atom at the C(2)‐substituent underwent C(α)‐ and/or N‐addition reactions and furnished non‐β‐lactam adducts, i.e., C(α)‐ and/or N‐acylated 1,3‐thiazolidines. The attempted transformations of sulfonyl esters of exo‐6‐hydroxy penams to endo‐6‐azido penams failed, although they were successful with mono‐β‐lactams under the same conditions.     

Cyclopeptide and Terpenoids from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.

The EtOH extract of dried root bark of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae) afforded a novel macrolactone cyclopeptide named triptotin L (=cyclo[L ‐alanyl‐L ‐alanyl‐3‐(4,4,9‐trimethyldecyl‐3‐hydroxypropanoylglycyl‐L ‐valyl‐L ‐leucyl; 1 ), the new triterpene 2β,6α,22β‐trihydroxy‐24,29‐dinor‐D:A‐friedoolean‐4‐ene‐3,21‐dione named 6α‐hydroxytriptocalline A (=(2β,6α,8α,9β,10α,13α,14β,20β,22β)‐2,6,22‐trihydroxy‐9,13‐dimethyl‐24,25,26,30‐tetranorolean‐4‐ene‐3,21‐dione; 2 ), the new diterpenoid 11,16‐dihydroxy‐14‐methoxy‐18(4→3) abeo‐abieta‐3,8,11,13‐tetraene‐18‐oic acid named 16‐hydroxytriptobenzene H (=(4aS,10aS)‐3,4,4a,9,10,10a‐hexahydro‐5‐hydroxy‐7‐(2‐hydroxy‐1‐methylethyl)‐8‐methoxy‐1,4a‐dimethylphenanthrene‐2‐carboxylic acid; 3 ), and the abietane diterpenoid alkaloid named triptotin J (=(7aS,11aS,11bS)‐7,7a,8,9,10,11,11a,11b‐octahydro‐11b‐hydroxy‐α,α,8,8,11a‐pentamethyl‐6H‐naphth[1,2‐d]azepine‐4‐methanol; 4 ). Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic studies.     

Terpenoids from Croton regelianus

Two new terpenoids, the bisnorditerpene rel‐(5β,8α,10α)‐8‐hydroxy‐13‐methylpodocarpa‐9(11),13‐diene‐3,12‐dione ( 1 ) and the guaiane sesquiterpene rel‐(1R,4S,6R,7S,8aR)‐decahydro‐1‐(hydroxymethyl)‐4,9,9‐trimethyl‐4,7‐(epoxymethano)azulen‐6‐ol ( 2 ), together with seven known compounds, were isolated from Croton regelianus var. matosii. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by HR‐ESI‐TOF and a combination of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments.     

Isolation of a New Carotenoid and Two New Carotenoid Glycosides from Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pvar poinsettiae

An efficient method for the extraction of the carotenoids from Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pvar poinsettiae was developed. The glucosides of C.p. 450 (=(all‐E,2R,2′R)‐2‐[4‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl]‐2′‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl)‐β, β‐carotene; 4 ) and of C.p. 473 (=(all‐E,2R,2′S)‐2‐[4‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl]‐2′‐(3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl)‐3′,4′‐didehydro‐1′,2′‐dihydro‐β,ψ‐caroten‐1′‐ol; 5 ) were isolated for the first time. In addition, the hitherto unknown 3′,4′‐dihydro derivative of C.p. 450, called C.p. 460 (=(all‐E,2R,2′R)‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl)‐2′‐(3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl)‐1′,2′‐dihydro‐β,ψ‐caroten‐1′‐ol; 6 ), was identified. The structures were established by UV/VIS, CD, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and mass spectra.     

Withanolides from Physalis alkekengi var. francheti

Two new withanolides, namely (20S,22R)‐15α‐acetoxy‐5α‐chloro‐6β,14β‐dihydroxy‐1‐oxowitha‐2,24‐dienolide ( 1 ) and (22R)‐5β,6β : 14α,17 : 14β,26‐triepoxy‐2α‐ethoxy‐13,20,22‐trihydroxy‐1,15‐dioxo‐16α,24‐cyclo‐13,14‐secoergosta‐18,27‐dioic acid 18→20,27→22‐dilactone ( 2 ), along with six known compounds, physagulin B ( 3 ), withangulatin A ( 4 ), physalin I ( 5 ), withaminimin ( 6 ), physagulin J ( 7 ), and ergosta‐5,25‐diene‐3β,24ξ‐diol ( 8 ), were isolated from the whole plant of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses.     

New 6/8/6‐Taxanes Isolated from the Heartwood of Taxus cuspidata

Two new natural taxanes were isolated from the heartwood of Taxus cuspidata. The structures were established as rel‐(2α,5α,7β,9α,10β,12α)‐7,9‐bis(acetyloxy)‐2‐(benzoyloxy)‐11,12‐epoxy‐1,5‐dihydroxy‐10‐[(hydroxyacetyl)oxy]tax‐4(20)‐en‐13‐one ( 1 ), and (2α,5α,10β,14β)‐taxa‐4(20),11‐diene‐2,5,10,14‐tetrol 2‐acetate ( 2 ) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.