New insecticidal amides from petroleum ether extract of dried Piper nigrum L. whole fruits

The petroleum ether extract of dried ground whole fruits of Piper nigrum L. afforded 20 compounds (1-20) including two new insecticidal amides named as pipnoohine (1), and pipyahyine (2), seven reported for the first time from this plant (12, 13, 15-17, 19, 20), and eleven known compounds (3-11, 14, 18). The structure of 1 has been elucidated as (2E,4E,12Z)-N-(4-methylpentyl)octadeca-2,4,12-trienamide and that of 2 as (2E,4E,11E)-12-(benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-N-(3-methylbutyl)dodeca-2,4,11-trien-amide through extensive ID-, 2D-NMR spectral studies and chemical reactions. The known compounds have been identified through comparison of their spectral data with those reported in literature. 1 and 2 exhibited toxicity at 35.0 and 30.0 ppm respectively against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti L. by WHO method.     

Three new diterpenes and the biological activity of different extracts of Jasonia montana

Three new diterpenes, namely jasonin-a (1), jasonin-b (2), and jasonin-c (3) were isolated from the aerial parts of Jasonia montana (Asteraceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data as [(1E)-2-((2S)-1,2,5-trimethylbicyclo[3.2.l]octan-8-yl)vinyl] benzene-3-carboxylic acid (1), [3-((2S, 5S)-1,2, 5-trimethylcycloheptanyl)propyl]benzene-3-carboxylic acid (2), and [(1E)-3-((7R)-1,7-dimethy-4-methylenecycloheptanyl)prop-1-enyl] benzene-3-carboxylic acid (3). In addition, the previously reported 5,7,3'-trihydroxy-3,6,4'-trimethoxy flavone designated as centaureidin (4), was also isolated and characterized from this source. The different extracts of the plant were also screened for hypoglycemic, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities, wherein the petroleum ether and ethanolic extracts exhibited hypoglycemic and antidiabetic activity, and the petroleum ether and chloroform extracts showed antimicrobial activity.     

Phytochemical studies on the seed extract of Piper nigrum Linn

The petroleum ether extract of dried ground seeds of Piper nigrum Linn. and some column fractions of this extract were subjected to GC and GC-MS analysis, resulting in the identification of fourteen compounds (1-14) by using NIST Mass spectral search program 1998 and the Kovat's retention indices. Ten of the compounds (1, 2, 4-12) are reported for the first time from this plant. All the fractions showed insecticidal activity against the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and against the fourth instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi Liston, determined by the WHO method.     

A new natural product and insecticidal amides from seeds of Piper nigrum Linn

Studies on the petroleum ether soluble and insoluble fraction of ethanol extract of dried ground seeds of Piper nigrum resulted in the isolation and structure elucidation of 1 new and 11 known compounds which include 3 hitherto unreported constituents, namely, cinnamylideneacetone, 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylpropiophenone and 2-hydroxy-4,5-methylenedioxypropiophenone from this plant.     

Phenolic constituents from the rhizomes of Gastrodia elata

Gastrodia elata Bl. (Orchidaceae) is an important traditional medicinal plant as well as a famous foodstuff in China. In the present article, the HPLC chromatograms of different preparation processes were reported, and structures of nine phenolic compounds, isolated from Gastrodia elata, were assigned. The isolated compounds were identified as 1,3-bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)citrate (1), gastrodin (2), 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (3), 1-(4-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxybenzyl)citrate (4), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (5), parishin B (6), 4-hydroxybenzyl methyl ether (7), 4-hydroxybenzyl ethyl ether (8), and 4-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)phenol (9). Compounds 1 and 4, named as parishin D and E, were new. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy.     

Piptigrine, a new insecticidal amide from Piper nigrum Linn

A new insecticidal amide piptigrine (1) possessing highly extended conjugation was isolated from the dried ground seeds of Piper nigrum Linn. along with the known amides piperine and wisanine (hitherto unreported from this plant). The structure of 1 has been elucidated as 1-[9-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-4E,6E,8E-nonatrienoyl]piperidine through extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR (COSY-45, NOESY, J-resolved, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY studies. The known compounds have been identified through comparison of their spectral data with those reported in literature. 1 exhibited toxicity of 15.0 ppm against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti Liston.     

Two new triterpenoids and a steroidal glycoside from the aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum

Studies on the chemical constituents of the aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum have led to the isolation of three new compounds, basilol (1), ocimol (2), and basilimoside (3), along with two known constituents betulinic acid and oleanolic acid. The structures of the new constituents have been elucidated through spectral studies including 2D-NMR experiments (HMQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY, and J-resolved) and chemical transformation, as p-formylphenyl 3beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oate (1), 2-methoxy-4-carbomethoxyphenyl 3beta-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oate (2), and (22E)-24xi-ethyl-25-methylcholesta-5,22-diene-3beta-ol-3-O-D-glucopyranoside (3).     

Potential cancer chemopreventive agents from Arbutus unedo

A phytochemical study of the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts of the entire plant of Arbutus unedo led to the isolation of a new sterol, 7beta-hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one (1), and nine known compounds of the flavan, steroid, and terpenoid types. The structure of 1 was determined by spectroscopic data interpretation in combination with molecular modeling calculations. The absolute stereochemistry of C-7 was assigned as S for compound 1 based on the obtained CD spectral data. Activity in the JB6 cell transformation assay was found for pomolic acid 3-acetate (4). All isolates obtained were evaluated in a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition assay.     

Phytochemical and biological studies on Saudi Commiphora opobalsamum L

The aerial part of Commiphora opobalsamum L. (Burseraceae) growing in Saudi Arabia was subjected to a phytopharmacological investigation in order to identify its major chemical constituents and to evaluate its extracts and isolated compounds in preliminary in vitro assays for antimicrobial, antimalarial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory (COX-2 inhibition), antioxidant and estrogenic activity. Six compounds were isolated and identified as the triterpenes friedelin, canophyllal, and oleanonic acid; the flavonols mearnsetin and quercetin; and syringic acid. The ethyl acetate extract was moderately active against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Plasmodium falciparum; while the petroleum ether and chloroform extracts inhibited COX-2 at 5 and 10 microg mL(-1), respectively. Of the isolated compounds, syringic acid showed moderate antimalarial, anticandidal, and antimycobacterial activity; while mearnsetin and quercetin exhibited antioxidant activity comparable to ascorbic acid and trolox. This is the first detailed phytochemical investigation of C. opobalsamum L. growing in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. The isolated compounds are reported from this plant for the first time and their full (1)H and (13)C NMR assignments are included.     

Two new homoisoflavonoids from Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Two new homoisoflavonoids, (E)-7-methoxy-3-(4'-methoxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (1) and (E)-7-hydroxy-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (5), along with three known homoisoflavonoids (Z)-7-hydroxy-3-(4'-methoxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (isobon ducellin) (2), (E)-7-hydroxy-3-(4'-methoxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (bonducellin) (3) and (E)-7-hydroxy-3-(2',4'-dimethoxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (4) were isolated from the whole plant of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated by electron impact mass spectrometry (EI-MS) and 1D and 2D-NMR spectral studies. Antimicrobial activity of the new compounds was evaluated.     

Labdane diterpenes from the rhizomes of Hedychium coronarium

A new labdane diterpenoid, (E)-labda-8(17),12-dien-15,16-olide (1) together with eight known compounds, coronarin D (2), coronarin D methyl ether (3), coronarin D ethyl ether (4), isocoronarin D (5), coronarin B (6), labda-8(17),11,13-trien-15,16-olide (7), (E)-labda-8(17),12-diene-15,16-dial (8) and 16-hydroxylabda-8(17),11,13-trien-15,16-olide (9), are isolated from the rhizomes of Hedychium coronarium. Compounds 2-4, 5 and 9 are isolated as mixtures of C-15, C-14 and C-16 epimers, respectively. Their structures are determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data. The epimeric mixtures of 2 and 3 have not been reported before. Some of them were evaluated for their cytotoxicity.     

New stilbenoids from Pholidota yunnanensis and their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production

Six new stilbenoids, a (bibenzyldihydrophenanthrene) ether designated phoyunnanin D (1), a bis(dihydrophenanthrene) ether designated phoyunnanin E (2), and four stilbenes designated phoyunbene A-D (3-6), were isolated from the air-dried whole plant of Pholidota yunnanensis ROLFE. The new compounds were identified as 7-[2-(3-hydroxyphenethyl)-4-hydroxy-6-methoxyphenoxy]-4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (1), 1-[(9,10-dihydro-4-hydroxy-2-methoxy-7-phenanthrenyl)oxy]-4,7-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (2), trans-3,3'-dihydroxy-2',4',5-trimethoxystilbene (3), trans-3,4'-dihydroxy-2',3',5-trimethoxystilbene (4), trans-3,3'-dihydroxy-2',5-dimethoxystilbene (5), and trans-3-hydroxy-2',3',5-trimethoxystilbene (6) based on spectroscopic evidence. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of compounds 1-6 on nitric oxide production in a murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7) activated by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma were examined.     

A new labdanic norditerpene from Pinus sylvestris

A new labdanic norditerpene and six known labdanic diterpenes were isolated from the petroleum ether extract of the needles of Pinus sylvestris. By spectroscopic methods, the isolated compounds were determined as 15-norpinifolic acid (1), pinifolic acid (2), 4-eplimbricataloic acid (3), monomethyl pinifolate (4), 18α-acetoxylabd-8(17)-en-15-oic acid (5), 2-pentenoic acid (6) and 3β-hydroxy-8(17),E-13-labdadien-15-oic acid (7), respectively. Compound 1 showed significant anti-tumour activity.     

New flavonoids from Oxytropis myriophylla

Eight compounds were isolated from Oxytropis myriophylla. On the basis of spectral analyses, their structures were elucidated to be (6R,9R)-roseoside (1), (6R,9S)-roseoside (2), adenosine (3), myriophylloside B (4), myriophylloside C (5), myriophylloside D (6), myriophylloside E (7), and myriophylloside F (8). Five flavonoids (4-8) were new compounds, and the three known compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.     

Isolation and characterisation of novel antioxidant constituents of Croton zambesicus leaf extract

A 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-activity-directed fractionation was used to target antioxidant constituents of the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from a 20% aqueous methanol crude extract of Croton zambesicus leaf. Repeated column chromatography of the fraction on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 led to the isolation of a new natural product, identified as quercetin-3-O-β-6″(p-coumaroyl) glucopyranoside-3'-methyl ether, helichrysoside-3'-methyl ether (1), along with kaempferol-3-O-β-6″(p-coumaroyl) glucopyranoside, tiliroside (2) and apigenin-6-C-glucoside, isovitexin (3) as the antioxidant constituents. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques, namely NMR (1D and 2D) and mass spectrometry. Compounds 1 and 2 are reported from this species for the first time. In the qualitative antioxidant assay, the three isolated compounds instantly bleached the DPPH (0.2% MeOH) purple colour indicating antioxidant activity. In the quantitative antioxidant assay, all the isolated compounds demonstrated weak antioxidant activity compared to quercetin and rutin used as positive control antioxidant agents. The compounds displayed little to no cytotoxicity against Vero cells in an in?vitro assay. The presence of these antioxidant compounds in the leaf extract of C. zambesicus could provide a rationale for the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in the management of oxidative-stress-related diseases in folk medicine.     

Identification of a new cytotoxic biflavanone from Selaginella doederleinii

A new biflavanone, 2,2',3,3'-tetrahydrorobustaflavone 7,4',7'-trimethyl ether (1) was isolated from the whole plant of Selaginella doederleinii HIERON. (Selaginellaceae) together with the known biflavonoid, robustaflavone 7,4',7'-trimethyl ether (2) as the cytotoxic constituents against the three human cancer cell lines, HCT, NCI-H358, and K562. The structure of the new compound 1 was elucidated by spectral analysis including various 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments.     

Isolation and characterisation of new bio-active compounds from Euphorbia cornigera: cytotoxic ingenol esters

The aerial parts of Euphorbia cornigera Boiss., on extraction with MeOH, yielded new bio-active constituents (1, 2) and known compounds (3 and 4) after MTT cytotoxicity assay-guided fractionation and chromatographic separation were conducted. From the aerial parts of E. cornigera Boiss., new bio-active constituents were extracted in methanol. The extract was partitioned in different organic solvents and the ethylacetate-soluble portion was subjected to Craig's distribution. The MTT cytotoxicity assay-guided chromatographic separation yielded four (1-4), out of which two (1, 2) were new and two known (3, 4) bio-active compounds, and they are reported for the first time from this source. Their structure and relative stereochemistry were established by analysing spectroscopic and mass measurement data. The isolates were named as: 13-O-[(2Z ,4 E ,6 Z)]-deca-2,4,6-trienoylingenol (1), 13-O-( 2 Z ,4 E ,6 Z)-deca-2,4,6-trienoyl-20-O-angeloylingenol (2), 13-O-dodecanoyl-20-O-hexanoylingenol (3) and 3-O-(2,3-dimethylbutanoyl)-13-O-dodecanoyl-20-O-hexadecanoylingenol (4). Literature revealed that compounds 1 and 2 are new metabolites, while 3 and 4 are known, and are reported for the first time from this source. Cytotoxicities of isolates were evaluated in terms of IC(50) against RAW and HT-29 cell lines through MTT assay using ambrucin hydrochloride as a control. Compound 3 showed more activity than control, while 1, 2 and 4 were moderate.     

New chemical constituents of roots of Urtica triangularis HAND-MASS

Studies on the chemical constituents of roots of Urtica triangularis HAND-MASS have led to the isolation of four new compounds. The structures, including the absolute configurations, of these constituents have been elucidated through spectral studies including (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, 2D-NMR experiments (heteronuclear single-quantum coherence, heteronuclear multiple bonding connectivity and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy), high resolution mass spectroscopy (HR-MS) and circular dichroism as (-)-4-methoxy-8'-acetyl olivil, (-)-4-methoxy-8'-acetyl olivil-4-O-alpha-arabinopyronosyl-(1-->6)-beta-glucopyranoside, (-)-olivil-9-O-beta-glucopyranoside and cyclo-olivil-9-O-beta-glucopyranoside.     

Phytochemical investigation and biological studies of Bombax malabaricum flowers

In this study, extracts of the flowers of the folk medicinal plant Bombax malabaricum DC were biologically and chemically screened. Chemical constituents in the n-hexane fraction from the flowers of B. malabaricum DC were investigated using gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis, affording 14 compounds, including cholesterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and α-amyrin, while the residual 10 compounds are hydrocarbons. GLC analysis of the fatty acid (FA) esters established the majority abundance of the saturated FA over their unsaturated analogues. The polar methanol fraction afforded seven flavones: vicenin 2 (1), linarin (2), saponarin (3), cosmetin (4), isovitexin (5), xanthomicrol (6) and apigenin (7). Structures 1-7 were established by intensive studies of various spectral data (H-NMR, mass spectroscopy and UV) and comparison with authentic samples. Compounds 1-7 are described here for the first time from this plant. Extracts of n-hexane and methanol exhibited significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.     

Syntheses of novel 4-tert-alkyl ether proline-based 16- and 17-membered macrocyclic compounds

Starting from N-Cbz-4-hydroxyproline methyl ester 1, a boron trifluoride-diethyl etherate-catalyzed reaction provided 4-tert-alkyl ether proline 4. Two deprotections and amide bond formations furnished the phenol alcohol 2. The macrocyclization of 2 was accomplished through a Mitsunobu reaction using triphenylphosphine and 1,1'-(azodicarbonyl)dipiperidine (ADDP), to afford novel 16- and 17-membered proline-based macrocyclic compounds of type 3.