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.     

Three New Alkaloids from the Leaves of Uncaria rhynchophylla

Three new alkaloids, 2′‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐11‐hydroxyvincoside lactam ( 1 ), 22‐O‐demethyl‐22‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosylisocorynoxeine ( 2 ), and (4S)‐corynoxeine N‐oxide ( 3 ) were isolated from the leaves of Uncaria rhynchophylla, together with four known tetracyclic oxindole or indole alkaloids, isocorynoxeine N‐oxide ( 4 ), rhynchophylline N‐oxide ( 5 ), isorhynchophylline N‐oxide ( 6 ), and dihydrocorynantheine ( 7 ), and an indole alkaloid glycoside, strictosidine ( 8 ). The structures of 1 – 3 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, ESI‐TOF‐MS, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, as well as CD experiments. The activity assay showed that 8 (IC₅₀=8.3 μM ) exhibited potent inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)‐induced nitrogen monoxide (NO) release in N9 microglia cells. However, only weak inhibitory activities were observed for 1 – 7 (IC₅₀>100 μM for 1 – 6 or >30 μM for 7 ).     

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.     

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.     

Two New Alkaloids from the Roots of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai

Two new alkaloids, ranaconidine (=20‐ethyl‐1α,14α,16β‐trimethoxyaconitane‐4,7,8,10‐tetrol; 1 ) and N‐(chloromethyl)taspine (=1‐[2‐(N‐(chloromethyl)‐N,N‐dimethylaminium)ethyl]‐3,8‐dimethoxybenzopyrano[5,4,3‐cde]benzopyran‐5,10‐dione; 2 ), together with two known compounds, i.e., benzethonium chloride ( 3 ) and ranaconine ( 4 ) were isolated from the roots of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai . The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidences and in the comparison with previously published data.     

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.     

Lycopodium Alkaloids from Huperzia serrata

Three new lycopodium alkaloids, huperserramines A–C ( 1 – 3 , resp.), along with 15 known ones, lycopodine‐6α,11α‐diol ( 4 ), lycoposerramine H ( 5 ), lycoposerramine I ( 6 ), lycopodine‐6α‐ol ( 7 ), lycoposerramine M ( 8 ), diphaladine A ( 9 ), lycoposerramine K ( 10 ), lycoposerramine W ( 11 ), huperzine M ( 12 ), luciduline ( 13 ), phlegmariuine N ( 14 ), huperzine A ( 15 ), huperzine B ( 16 ), lycodine ( 17 ), and lycoposerramine R ( 18 ), were isolated from the whole plant of Huperzia serrata. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including 2D‐NMR and MS analyses. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α‐glucosidase. As a result, lycopodine‐6α,11α‐diol ( 4 ) exhibited more potent α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 148±5.5 μM ) than the positive control acarbose (IC₅₀ 376.3±2.7 μM ).     

Two New Lycodine Alkaloids from Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides

Two new lycodine alkaloids, 11β‐methoxyhuperzine B ( 1 ) and 16‐oxohuperzinine ( 2 ), together with seven known ones, huperzinine N‐oxide, huperzine D, casuarinine A, huperzine B, casuarinine B, huperzinine, and N‐methyllycodine, were isolated from whole plants of Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including NMR and MS experiments.     

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.     

Norditerpenoid Alkaloids from the Aerial Parts of Aconitum cochleare Woroschin

From the aerial parts of Aconitum cochleare Woroschin, two new norditerpenoid alkaloids named aconitilearine ( 1 ) and N‐deethylmethyllycaconitine ( 2 ) were isolated along with the eight known norditerpenoid alkaloids 3 – 10 . The structures for the new compounds were established on the basis of ¹H, ¹³C, DEPT, homonuclear ¹H,¹H‐COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC NMR studies.     

Conformational Studies of (±)‐11,12‐Didehydro‐11‐deoxycorynoline and (+)‐11,13‐Didehydro‐11‐deoxychelidonine,Hexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine‐Type Alkaloid Derivatives,by X‐Ray Crystal Structure and NMR Analyses

The X‐ray crystal analyses of the two 11‐deoxy‐didehydrohexahydrobenzo[c]phenanthridine‐type alkaloid derivatives 3 and 4 , derived from (±)‐corynoline ( 1 ) and (+)‐chelidonine ( 2 ), established their structures as (±)‐(5bRS,12bRS)‐5b,12b,13,14‐tetrahydro‐5b,13‐dimethyl[1,3]benzodioxolo[5,6‐c]‐1,3‐dioxolo[4,5‐i]phenanthridine ( 3 ) and (+)‐rel‐(12bR)‐7,12b,13,14‐tetrahydro‐13‐methyl[1,3]benzodioxolo[5,6‐c]‐1,3‐dioxolo[4,5‐i]phenanthridine ( 4 ). The conformations of 3 and 4 in CDCl₃ were determined on the basis of ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy.     

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.     

Total Synthesis of (±)‐Eusiderin G and (±)‐Eusiderin M

(±)‐Eusiderin G and (±)‐Eusiderin M were first synthesized from pyrogallol, in which the Claisen Rearrangement was used to afford two important C₆‐C₃ units.     

Synthesis of Deuterium Labeled (±)‐2,5‐Dimethoxyamphetamine (DMA), (±)‐4‐Bromo‐2,5‐Dimethoxyamphetamine (DOB), and (±)‐4‐Methoxyamphetamine (PMA) as Internal Standards for Quantitative Analyses by GC‐MS

DMA, DOB and PMA are increasingly abused central nervous system stimulants with neurotoxic properties. In recent years, many controlled substance analogs (designer drugs) with a large variety of structures have reached the illegal market, making their identification difficult. Therefore, this work studies the synthesis of DOB‐d₆, DMA‐d₆ and PMA‐d₃ as internal standards for use in gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) to identify controlled substances.     

New Alkaloids from Hippeastrum papilio (Ravenna) Van Scheepen

A new phytochemical study of the indigenous Brazilian species Hippeastrum papilio is reported herein. Three novel Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were isolated, including hippapiline ( 1 ), papiline ( 2 ), and 3‐O‐demethyl‐3‐O‐(3‐hydroxybutanoyl)haemanthamine ( 3 ). Their structures were determined by physical and spectroscopic methods. In addition, the known alkaloids, haemanthamine ( 4 ), galanthamine ( 5 ), narwedine ( 6 ), 11β‐hydroxygalanthamine ( 7 ), apogalanthamine ( 8 ), and 9‐O‐demethyllycosinine B ( 9 ) were identified. The unusual cis‐B/C‐ring fusion for the new homolycorine representative hippapiline was ratified by NMR and CD spectroscopy.     

First Total Synthesis of (−)‐Ligustiphenol

The first asymmetric total synthesis of (?)‐ligustiphenol is reported. The key step was conducted by exploiting a steric hindrance effect to control the formation of the adduct in a nucleophilic α‐Li‐phenolate addition reaction to the intermediate α‐oxo (?)‐menthyl ester. The synthesis is concise and feasible for the construction of analogous compounds and investigation of their biological activity.     

New Indole Alkaloids from Kopsia. Alkaloid Variation in Kopsia singapurensis

Five new indole alkaloids, viz., kopsiloscine G ( 2 ), kopsidarine ( 4 ), kopsimaline F ( 6 ), kopsidine C N‐oxide ( 7 ), and aspidophylline B ( 9 ), in addition to 17 other known alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf and stem‐bark extract of the Malaysian Kopsia singapurensis. The structures were determined by using NMR and MS analysis. The results are compared with the alkaloidal composition of another sample of K. singapurensis, collected from the same location but at a different time of the year, as well as with other samples of K. singapurensis collected from different locations.     

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.     

Further Alkaloids from the Leaves of Trigonostemon lii

Four new indole alkaloids, trigonoliimines D–G ( 1 – 4 , resp.), were isolated from Trigonostemon lii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments.