Lycodine‐Type Alkaloids from Lycopodium casuarinoides

Two new lycodine‐type alkaloids, huperzinine N‐oxide ( 1 ) and 8,15‐dihydrohuperzinine ( 2 ) as well as five known compounds, huperzinine ( 3 ), huperzine B ( 4 ), huperzine D ( 5 ), N‐demethylhuperzinine ( 6 ), and β‐obscurine ( 7 ), were isolated from the club moss Lycopodium casuarinoides. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical transformation. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by chemical correlation with 3 , and that of 2 was determined by its CD spectrum.     

Two New Lycopodine Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Two new lycopodine alkaloids, (12β)‐12‐hydroxyhuperzine G ( 1 ) and (5β,6β,15α)‐15‐methyllycopodane‐5,6‐diol ( 2 ), were isolated from the whole plants of Huperzia serrata, together with six known compounds, huperzines A, B, and G, phlegmariurine B, (8β)‐8‐hydroxyphlegmariurine B, and lycoposerramine D. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including HR‐ESI‐MS, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, DEPT, ¹H,¹H‐COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY data.     

Two New Benzophenanthridine Alkaloids from Zanthoxylum nitidum

Two new benzophenanthridine alkaloids, named 8‐methoxysanguinarine ( 1 ) and 8‐methoxyisodecarine ( 2 ), were isolated from the EtOH extract of the rhizoma of Zanthoxylum nitidum. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.     

Two New Lycopodium Alkaloids from Lycopodium obscurum

Two new Lycopodium alkaloids, (+)‐cermizine D N‐oxide ( 1 ) and (8β)‐8‐(acetyloxy)obscurumine A ( 2 ), along with five known compounds, were isolated from the crude alkaloid portion of Lycopodium obscurum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical correlation. All of these alkaloids were tested in an assay for acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibitory activity.     

Two New Steroidal Alkaloids from Veratrum nigrum L.

Phytochemical studies on Veratrum nigrum L., collected in Shanxi, P. R. China, resulted in the isolation of two new steroidal alkaloids, 23‐methoxycyclopamine ( 1 ) and 15‐O‐(2‐methylbutanoyl)‐3‐O‐veratroylprotoverine ( 2 ). The structures of the two new compounds were established by means of extensive NMR spectroscopic studies.     

A New Megastigmane Palmitate and a New Oleanane Triterpenoid from Aster yomena Makino

A new megastigmane palmitate, 9‐oxomegastigm‐5(13)‐ene‐2β‐palmitate ( 1 ), and a new oleanane triterpenoid, (3β)‐3,23,28‐trihydroxyolean‐12‐en‐11‐one ( 2 ), together with three known oleanane‐type triterpenoids, β‐amyrin ( 3 ), erythrodiol ( 4 ), and (3β)‐olean‐12‐ene‐3,23,28‐triol ( 5 ), were isolated from the aerial parts of Aster yomena (Asteraceae). Their structures were identified based on 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR analysis, including ¹H,¹H‐COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY techniques.     

A New Abietane Diterpenoid from Plectranthus bishopianus Benth.

Chemical examination of the MeOH extract of Plectranthus bishopianus Benth ., a rare and endangered plant, resulted in isolation of a new abietane diterpene, 6β‐hydroxy‐7α‐methoxyroyleanone ( 1 ), along with two more diterpenoids, 6,7‐dehydroroyleanone, and 6β,7α‐dihydroxyroyleanone, a triterpene oleanolic acid, and two sterols, β‐sistosterol and stigmasterol. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and also by comparison with authentic samples.     

Steroidal Alkaloids from the Roots and Rhizomes of Vertrum nigrum L.

Two new steroidal alkaloids, neoverapatuline ( 1 ) and (1β,3α,5β)‐1,3‐dihydroxyjervanin‐12‐en‐11‐one ( 2 ), together with the four known compounds, veratramine ( 3 ), rubijervine ( 4 ), veratrosine ( 5 ), and veratroylzygadenine ( 6 ), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Veratrum nigrum L. Their structures were established through combined analyses of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic evidence. All compounds 1 – 6 were tested for their cytotoxicities in vitro against the human glioma cell line SF188.     

Three New Pregnane Alkaloids from Veratrum taliense

Three new alkaloids, 3‐O‐acetylveralkamine ( 1 ), veralkamine 3‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranoside) ( 2 ), and 6,7‐epoxyverdine ( 3 ), together with five known alkaloids, veramitaline, veralkamine ( 4 ), angeloylzygadenine, veratroylzygadenine, and veramiline 3‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranoside), were isolated from the whole plants of Veratrum taliense. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and the NMR data of veralkamine ( 4 ) are given for the first time. In addition, the cytotoxic activities of all isolated compounds, except for veramitaline, were tested.     

Steroidal Alkaloids from Veratrum maackii Regel with Genotoxicity on Brain‐Cell DNA in Mice

Two new steroidal alkaloids, 23‐methoxycyclopamine 3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 1 ) and isoecliptalbine ( 2 ), were isolated from the root and rhizoma of Veratrum maackii Regel , together with five known compounds, i.e., verussurine ( 3 ), verabenzoamine ( 4 ), verazine ( 5 ), isoverazine ( 6 ), and verazinine ( 7 ). Their structures were established by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data, as well as by comparison with literature data. Compounds 1 – 7 could cause DNA damage in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex of mice in a dose‐dependent manner by using single‐cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay).     

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.     

Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Alstonia mairei

Three new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, (14α,15α)‐14,15‐epoxyaspidofractinine ( 1 ) and maireines A and B ( 2 and 3 , resp.), together with 19 known alkaloids, were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Alstonia mairei. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopic methods in combination with MS experiments.     

Steroidal Alkaloids from Veratrum dahuricum (Turcz.) Loes. f. with Genotoxicity on Brain Cell DNA in Mice

Two new steroidal alkaloids, 2β‐hydroxyverdine ( 1 ) and tomatillidine 3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 2 ), were isolated from the root and rhizome of Veratrum dahuricum (Turcz .) Loes . f., together with four known compounds, i.e., 16‐O‐(2‐methylbutyroyl)germine ( 3 ), veramitaline ( 4 ), jervine ( 5 ), and veratroylzygadenine ( 6 ). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as by comparison with data in literature. Compounds 1 – 6 exhibited genotoxicity on brain cell DNA of the cerebellum and cerebral cortex in mice, evaluated by using single‐cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay).     

Two New Cytotoxic Naphthoquinones from Didymocarpus hedyotideus

A new naphthoquinone, 6‐hydroxy‐α‐dunnione ( 1 ) and a new binaphthoquinone, methyl 1,1′,4,4′‐tetrahydro‐3‐hydroxy‐1,1′,4,4′‐tetraoxo[2,2′‐binaphthalene]‐3′‐carboxylate ( 2 ), along with ten known compounds, including naphthoquinones, anthraquinones, and phenylethanoid glucosides, were isolated from the roots of Didymocarpus hedyotideus Chun . Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analyses, particularly 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy. The cytotoxic activities of the two new naphthoquinones were also evaluated.     

Optical Resolution and Structure Determination of New Indolizidine Alkaloids from Elaeocarpus sphaericus

Two new indolizidine alkaloids, (±)‐3‐oxoisoelaeocarpine ( 1 ) and (±)‐elaeocarpine N‐oxide ( 2 ), along with three known alkaloids, (±)‐isoelaeocarpine ( 3 ), (±)‐elaeocarpine ( 4 ), and (?)‐isoelaeocarpiline ( 5 ), were isolated from an EtOH extract of the branches and leaves of Elaeocarpus sphaericus. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Furthermore, enantiomers of compounds 1 and 3 were separated on a chiral CD‐Ph column, and their absolute configurations were determined by TD‐DFT (=time‐dependent density‐functional theory) quantum‐chemical calculations of their electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra.     

Terpenoids from the Chinese Liverwort Chiloscyphus polyanthus

A new diterpene, (7α,11β,14β,16R)‐7,11,14‐trihydroxy‐ent‐kaur‐15‐one ( 1 ), and a new sesquiterpene, polyanthuslide ( 2 ), were isolated from the Chinese liverwort Chiloscyphus polyanthus. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, and the configuration of 2 was established by X‐ray crystallographic analysis.     

Two New Daphniphyllum Alkaloids from Daphniphyllum calycinum

Two new daphniphyllum alkaloids named 2‐hydroxyyunnandaphnine D ( 1 ) and methyl 7‐hydroxyhomodaphniphyllate ( 2 ), together with eight known alkaloids, daphnioldhanin D, calyciphylline F, calyciphylline B, deoxycalyciphylline B, daphnicyclidin H, macropodumine C, 9,10‐epoxycalycine A, and yunnandaphnine A, were isolated from the stems and leaves of Daphniphyllum calycinum. Their structures and relative configurations were established on the basis of spectral evidence (including 2D‐NMR) and subsequently confirmed by a single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic diffraction analysis.     

Further Daphniphyllum Alkaloids from the Leaves of Daphniphyllum macropodum Miq.

Five new polycyclic Daphniphyllum alkaloids, macropodumines F ( 1 ) and G ( 2 ), 17‐oxoyuzurimine ( 3 ), and macropodumines H ( 4 ) and I ( 5 ), were isolated from the leaves of D. macropodum Miq ., collected in Sichuan Province, China. The structures and relative configurations of the new compounds – as well as of four known, related alkaloids – were elucidated on the basis of in‐depth spectroscopic and mass‐spectrometric analyses, by chemical derivatization, and by comparison of spectroscopic data with those of known compounds.     

Two New Alkaloids from Flueggea virosa

Two new securinega‐type alkaloids and four known ones were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Flueggea virosa. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, HR‐ESI‐MS, and 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR), and the absolute configurations were assigned by CD spectra. The structures of the known compounds were identified by comparison of their physical and spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature.