Sesquiterpenoids from the Aerial Parts of Inula japonica

Fourteen sesquiterpenoids with an eudesmane C‐atom skeleton, including four new ones, (1β,5α,7β,8β,11β)‐5‐hydroperoxy‐1‐hydroxyeudesm‐4(15)‐eno‐12,8‐lactone ( 1 ), (1β,5α,7β,8β)‐8‐(acetyloxy)‐5‐hydroperoxy‐1‐hydroxycostic acid methyl ester ( 12 ), and a mixture of (1β,3β,4β,7β,8β)‐1,3‐dihydroxyeudesma‐5,11(13)‐dieno‐12,8‐lactone ( 7 ) and (1β,3β,4β,7β,8β,11β)‐1,3‐dihydroxyeudesm‐5‐eno‐12,8‐lactone ( 8 ), were isolated from the aerial parts of Inula japonica (Asteraceae). Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods, and those of 7 and 12 confirmed by means of single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

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.     

Cytotoxic Terpenoids from Turraea pubescens

Three new triterpenoids, turrapubesols A–C ( 1 – 3 ), and one new sesquiterpenoid, 1α,4α‐dihydroxyeudesman‐11‐ene ( 4 ), along with 12 known terpenoids were isolated from Turraea pubescens. The structures of the terpenoids were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and by a chemical transformation. The previous assignment of the NMR data for guaidiol ( 5 ) was corrected. Some of the triterpenoids exhibited cytotoxicity against the P‐388 cell line.     

Sesquiterpenoids from Senecio argunensis

Investigation of unpolar extracts from the aerial parts of Senecio argunensis afforded two new sesquiterpenoids, 1β‐hydroxyeudesma‐4,11‐dien‐15‐al ( 1 ) and 4(15)‐cadinene‐5α,10α‐diol, ( 2 ) as well as six known compounds, 3 – 8 . The structures of all isolates were elucidated on the basis of extensive analyses of spectroscopic data and comparison with literature data.     

Sesquiterpenoids from Ligularia dentata

Five new compounds were isolated from the roots of Ligularia dentata, including four bisabolane‐type sesquiterpenoids, 1 – 4 , as well a new eudesmane, 5 . The previously isolated 3α,6α,9‐tris(angeloyloxy)‐2α,4β‐dihydroxy‐7,11‐epoxybisabol‐10(15)‐en‐5‐one ( 6 ), when left as an oil in a refrigerator over nine months, gave rise to a mixture of two positional isomers, 7 and 8 . Their formation is rationalized by means of epoxide ring opening and shift of an angeloyl (Ang) group. The structures of compounds 1 – 5, 7 , and 8 were established by in‐depth spectroscopic (UV, CD, IR, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR) as well as mass‐spectrometric methods.     

Three New Sesquiterpenes from Laggera pterodonta

A new eremophilane sesquiterpene, (2β)‐2‐deoxo‐2‐methoxytessaric acid ( 1 ), and two new eudesmane sesquiterpenes, (3β,10α)‐3‐methoxyleudesma‐4,11(13)‐dien‐12‐oic acid ( 2 ) and (3α,4β,8α)‐4‐(acetyloxy)‐3‐(2,3‐dihydroxy)‐2‐methyl‐1‐oxobutoxy‐8‐hydroxyeudesm‐7(11)‐eno‐12,8‐lactone ( 3 ), along with the ten known compounds 4 – 13 were isolated from the aerial parts of Laggera pterodonta. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 2D‐NMR data.     

New Sesquiterpene Formamides from the Marine Sponge Axinyssa sp.

Chemical investigation of an extract of the marine sponge Axinyssa sp., collected from the South China Sea, led to the isolation and identification of two new sesquiterpene formamides, (4R*,5R*,10R*)‐4‐formamidoeudesm‐7‐ene ( 1 ) and (4R*,5R*,7S*,10R*)‐4‐formamidoeudesman‐11‐ol ( 2 ), together with the known 4α‐formamidogorgon‐11‐ene ( 3 ). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy, high‐resolution ESI‐TOF mass spectrometry, as well as X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction experiments. Possible biosynthetic pathways for 1 – 3 were also proposed. The human nasopharyngeal cancer cell line CNE‐2, human cervical cancer cell line HeLa, and human normal liver cell line L02 were used to examine the cytotoxic activities of 1 – 3 in vitro. As the results, 1 showed significant cytotoxic activity against CNE‐2, HeLa, and L02 cell lines with the IC₅₀ values of 13.8, 7.5, and 38.0 μg/ml, resp.