Sesquiterpene lactones from Saussurea alata

Two new guaianolides, namely, 3beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-13-methoxyl-4(14),10(15)-dien-(1alphaH,5alphaH,6beta H,11betaH)-12,6-olide (1) and 3beta,8alpha-dihydroxy-13-methoxyl-4(14),10(15)-dien-(1alphaH,5alphaH,6beta H,11alphaH)-12,6-olide (2), together with six known guaianolides, 8-hydroxyzaluzanin C, austricin, chlorojanerin, cynaropicrin, chlorohyssopifolin E and chlorohyssopifolin A were isolated from the aerial parts of Saussurea alata. The structures were established mainly based on spectral analysis, especially 2D NMR techniques.     

A New Sesquiterpene from Saussurea parviflora

A new sesquiterpene:11,12,13-trihydroxy-4(15),7(8)-eudesmdien-9-one was isolated from Saussurea parviflora. The structure was elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence.     

Six Novel Eudesmane‐Like Sesquiterpenes from Illicium spathulatum

The four diastereoisomeric gorgonane sesquiterpenes 1 – 4 and the two diastereoisomeric forfugane sesquiterpenes 6 and 7 , which all have the same molecular formula C₁₅H₂₈O₃ and belong to the same eudesmane‐like sesquiterpenes, were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Illicium spathulatum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy.     

Verticillane‐Type Diterpenoids and an Eudesmanolide‐Type Sesquiterpene from the Formosan Soft Coral Cespitularia hypotentaculata

Four new diterpenes, cespihypotins W–Z ( 1 – 4 ), having the verticillane skeleton and characterized by an α,β‐unsaturated γ‐hydroxycyclopentanone moiety, and a new eudesmanolide‐type sesquiterpene, cespilactam A ( 5 ), containing an α,β‐unsaturated γ‐lactam residue, were isolated from the AcOEt‐soluble fraction of the Taiwanese soft coral Cespitularia hypotentaculata. The structure and relative configuration of these metabolites was elucidated through extensive interpretation of MS, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY experiments and by comparison of their NMR data with those of related compounds.     

Sesquiterpene and Aristolochic Acid Derivatives from Thottea hainanensis

One new sesquiterpene named thotteodiol ( 1 ) with a novel skeleton and one new derivative of aristolochic acid named 7‐hydroxyaristolochic acid III methyl ester ( 2 ), together with 20 known compounds, were isolated from the stems and roots of Thottea hainanensis. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods.     

Lepidamine,the First Aristolane‐Type Sesquiterpene Alkaloid from the Basidiomycete Russula lepida

A novel N‐containing aristolane sesquiterpenoid compound, lepidamine ( 1 ), was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Basidiomycete Russula lepida. Its structure was established by spectroscopic means. It is the first aristolane‐type sesquiterpene alkaloid isolated from nature.     

Lessons from 1,3‐Hydride Shifts in Sesquiterpene Cyclizations

Stereospecifically labelled precursors were subjected to conversion by seven bacterial sesquiterpene cyclases to investigate the stereochemistry of their initial 1,10‐cyclisation‐1,3‐hydride shift cascades. Enzymes with products of known absolute configuration showed a coherent stereochemical course, except for (?)‐α‐amorphene synthase, for which the obtained results are better explained by an initial 1,6‐cyclisation. The link between the absolute configuration of the product and the stereochemical course of the 1,3‐hydride shifts enabled assignment of the absolute configurations of three enzyme products, which were confirmed independently through the absolute configuration of the common byproduct germacrene D‐4‐ol.     

A New Picrotoxane Type Sesquiterpene from Dendrobium densiflorum

A new picrotoxane type sesquiterpene named dendrodensiflorol has been isolated from the stems of Dendrobium densiflorum. Its structure was identified on the basis of spectroscopic method.     

Glucofructans from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saussurea lappa</Emphasis> roots

Glucofructans from Saussurea lappa (Asteraceae) roots were studied. It was found that free fructose and oligomeric glucofructans (saccharose, 1-kestose, nystose, 1^F-β-fructofuranosylnystose, and 1^F-β-fructofuranosyl-1^F-β-fructofuranosylnystose) were present. The dominant polymer Sl-GF (MW 51.4 kDa), which was a linear inulin-type glucofructan consisting of β-(2 → 1)-bonded fructofuranose units, was isolated and characterized. The total content of glucofructans in Saussurea lappa roots was 476.97–578.27 mg/g.     

Unique Thia‐Baeyer–Villiger‐Type Oxidation of Dibenzothiophene Sulfoxides Derivatives

The present research has demonstrated that selective C?S bond cleavages of dibenzothiophene and its derivatives are feasible by thia‐Baeyer–Villiger type oxidation, i. e. the oxygen insertion process within a sulfoxide‐carbon linkage, in the presence of porphyrin iron (III) and by ultraviolet irradiation originating from sunlight, high pressure Hg‐lamp or residentially germicidal ultraviolet lamp under very mild conditions. This reaction with tert‐butylhydroperoxide at 30.0 °C leads to dibenzo[1,2]oxathiin‐6‐oxide ( PBS ) in 83.2 % isolated yield or its hydrated products, 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐benzenesulfinic derivatives ( HPBS ) in near 100 % yield based HPLC data. PBS and HPBS are a type of biological products detected on the C?S bond cleavage step through various oxidative biodesulfurization ( OBDS ) pathways, and are useful synthetic intermediates and fine chemicals. These observations may contribute on understanding delicately molecular aspect of OBDS in the photosynthesis system, expanding the C‐S cleavage chemistry of S‐heterocyclic compounds and approaching toward biomemic desulfurization with respect to converting sulfur contaminants to chemically beneficial blocks as needed and performing under the ambient conditions.     

Heck‐Type Reactions of Imine Derivatives: A DFT Study

The mechanism of a recently discovered intramolecular Heck‐type coupling of oximes with aryl halides (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007 , 46, 6325) was systematically studied by using density functional methods enhanced with a polarized continuum solvation model. The overall catalytic cycle of the reaction was found to consist of four steps: oxidative addition, migratory insertion, β‐H elimination, and catalyst regeneration, whereas an alternative base‐promoted C? H activation pathway was determined to be less favorable. Migratory insertion was found to be the rate determining step in the catalytic cycle. The apparent activation barrier of migratory insertion of the (E)‐oxime was +20.5 kcal mol^?1, whereas the barrier of (Z)‐oxime was as high as +32.7 kcal mol^?1. However, (Z)‐oxime could isomerize to form the more active (E)‐oxime with the assistance of K₂CO₃, so that both the (E)‐ and (Z)‐oxime substrates could be transformed to the desired product. Our calculations also indicated that the Z product was predominant in the equilibrium of the isomerization of the imine double bond, which constituted the reason for the good Z‐selectivity observed for the reaction. Furthermore, we examined the difference between the intermolecular Heck‐type reactions of imines and of olefins. It was found that in the intermolecular Heck‐type coupling of imines, the apparent activation barrier of migratory insertion was as high as +35 kcal mol^?1, which should be the main obstacle of the reaction. The analysis also revealed the main problem for the intermolecular Heck‐type reactions of imines, which was that the breaking of a C?N π bond was much more difficult than the breaking of a C?C π bond. After systematic examination of a series of substituted imines, (Z)‐N‐amino imine and N‐acetyl imine were found to have relatively low barriers of migratory insertion, so that they might be possible substrates for intermolecular Heck‐type coupling.     

Synthesis of S-Containing Derivatives of the Sesquiterpene Lactone Britanin

The optimal method for isolating the sesquiterpene lactone britanin from the aerial part of Inula britannica L. (Asteraceae) was developed. Britanin was functionalized by reacting it with methyl mercaptoacetate.__________Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 37–38, January–February, 2005.     

Sesquiterpene and iridoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Valeriana pseudofficinalis</Emphasis> roots

A new sesquiterpene, named valeriene (1), along with three iridoids, namely valepotriate (2), dihydrovaltrate (3) and acevaltrate (4) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Valeriana pseudofficinalis roots. The structures of these compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, MS techniques, and X-ray single crystal diffractometry. This is the first report of the chemical components isolated from this plant. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 308–310, May–June, 2009.