Chemical Constituents of Plants from the Genus Eupatorium (1904-2014).

Eupatorium (family: Compositae), which comprises nearly 1200 species, is distributed throughout tropical America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Up to now, the reported constituents from the genus Eupatorium involve flavonoids, terpenoids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, quinonoids, essential oils, and some others, altogether more than 300 compounds. Studies have shown that Eupatorium and its active principles possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as cytotoxic, antifungal, insecticidal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities. Currently, effective monomeric compounds or active parts have been screened for pharmacological activities from Eupatorium in vivo and in vitro. Increasing amount of data supports application and exploitation for new drug development.

A new eudesmane sesquiterpene from Dichrocephala integrifolia.

A new sesquiterpene, eudesm-11-ene-4alpha,7beta,9beta-triol, was isolated from the EtOH extract of aerial parts of Dichrocephala integrifolia. Its structure was determined on the basis of spectral analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data.

PPARγ agonist from Chromolaena odorata.

A phytochemical investigation of Chromolaena odorata resulted in the isolation of five new compounds, 5aα,6,9,9aß,10-pentahydro-10ß-hydroxy-7-methylanthra[1,2-d][1,3]dioxol-5-one (1), 1,2-methylenedioxy-6-methylanthraquinone (2), 3-hydroxy-1,2,4-trimethoxy-6-methylanthraquinone (3), 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethoxy-6-methylanthraquinone (4), and 7-methoxy-7-epi-medioresinol (5), together with 12 known compounds, odoratin (6), 3ß-acetyloleanolic acid (7), ursolic acid (8), ombuin (9), 4,2'-dihydroxy-4',5',6'-trimethoxychalcone (10), (-)-pinoresinol (11), austrocortinin (12), tianshic acid (13), cleomiscosin D (14), (-)-medioresinol (15), (-)-syringaresinol (16), and cleomiscosin A (17). All the compounds were evaluated for their PPARγ transactivation activity, and compound 6 showed moderate activity with an EC(50) value of 3.10 µM.

Novel taxa-4(20),12-diene and 2(3→20)abeotaxane from needles of Taxus canadensis.

A novel 6/8/6-membered taxane with a rare C-12(13)-double bond and rare 2(3→20)abeotaxane were isolated from the needles of Taxus canadensis. Their structures were characterized as 7ß,9α,10ß-triacetoxytaxa-4(20),12-diene-2α,5α,11ß-triol (1) and 2α,7ß,10ß-triacetoxy-5α-hydroxy-2(3→20)abeotaxa-4(20),11-diene-9,13-dione (2) on the basis of 1D and 2D spectroscopic data. 1 is the first example of a natural taxane without substitution at both C-13 and C-14.

Achillinin A, a cytotoxic guaianolide from the flower of Yarrow, Achillea millefolium.

Achillinin A (2ß,3ß-epoxy-1α,4ß,10α-trihydroxyguai-11(13)-en-12,6α-olide, 1), a new guaianolide isolated from the flower of Achillea millefolium, exhibited potential antiproliferative activity to A549, RERF-LC-kj and QG-90 cells with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values of 5.8, 10 and 0.31 µM, respectively.

A novel taxane 13-glucoside and other taxanes from the leaves of Taxus cuspidata.

Three new taxanes, 2 α,9 α,10 ß-triacetoxy-13 α-( ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy)taxa-4(20),11-dien-5 α-ol, 5 α,10 ß,13 α-triacetoxytax-11-ene-2 α,7 ß,9 α,20-tetraol, and 5 α,10 ß,13 ß-triacetoxy-2 α,7 ß-dihydroxy-2(3→20) abeotaxa-4(20),11-dien-9-one, were isolated from the leaves of the Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata. Compound 1 is the first example of a taxane with 13-glycosidic linkage.

Echinopines A and B: sesquiterpenoids possessing an unprecedented skeleton from Echinops spinosus.

Echinopines A (1) and B (2), novel sesquiterpenoids with an unprecedented rearranged skeleton named echinopane, were isolated from the roots of Echinops spinosus. The structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. The relative configuration of 1 was assigned by a combination of NOESY correlations and a simulation analysis. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for echinopane was discussed.

Taxanes from rooted cuttings of Taxus canadensis.

A 3,11-cyclotaxane (1), a new epoxytaxane (2), an abeo-taxane (3), and 26 known taxanes were isolated in rooted cuttings of the Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis) for the first time. Their chemical structures were characterized as 1 beta,2 alpha,9 alpha-trihydroxy-10 beta-acetoxy-5 alpha-cinnamoyloxy-3,11-cyclotaxa-4(20)-en-13-one (1), 2 alpha,9 alpha,10 beta-triacetoxy-11,12-epoxy-20-hydroxytaxa-4-en-13-one (2), and 7 beta,9 alpha,10 beta,13 alpha-tetraacetoxy-11(15-->1)abeo-taxa-4(20),11-diene-5 alpha,15-diol (3). Metabolite 2 is a new taxane, metabolite 1 has been reported previously in the needles of Taxus baccata, and metabolite 3 was previously discovered as a biotransformation product but is now reported as a natural product for the first time.

A yew in Israel, new taxane derivatives.

Five new taxanes, 5alpha,9alpha,10beta,13alpha-tetraacetoxy-14beta-O-(beta-d-glucopyranosyl)taxa-4(20),11-diene (1), 1beta,2alpha,9alpha,10beta-tetrahydroxy-5alpha-cinnamoyoxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (2), 2alpha,9alpha,10beta-trihydroxy-5alpha-cinnamoyoxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (3), 9alpha-acetoxy-2alpha,10beta-dihydroxy-5alpha-cinnamoyoxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (4), and 2alpha,10beta-diacetoxy-1beta,9alpha-dihydroxy-5alpha-cinnamoyoxy-3,11-cyclotaxa-4(20)-dien-13-one (5), have been identified in a Taxus baccata yew grown in Israel from seeds imported from the United States. We have also characterized 40 previously known taxanes from this plant material. The structures of the new taxanes (1-5) were rigorously established with 1D and 2D NMR data and confirmed by high-resolution FAB-mass spectrometry.

New minor taxane derivatives from the needles of Taxus canadensis.

Seven minor taxane derivatives were isolated for the first time from the needles of Taxus canadensis. Four of these natural taxanes are O-glycosylated (1-4), with 4 being the only reported taxane with a glucose on ring C, and two have a dimethylamino-C-5 side chain (5 and 6). An unusual double bond at C-5(6) has been identified in taxane 7.

New taxanes from the needles of Taxus canadensis.

Ten new taxanes were isolated from the methanol extract of the needles of the Canadian yew, Taxus canadensis. On the basis of their spectral analysis, their structures were established as 9alpha-hydroxy-2alpha,7alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-5alpha-cinnamoyloxy-3,11-cyclotaxa-4(20)-en-13-one (1), 9alpha,10beta-diacetoxy-5alpha-cinnamoyloxy-3,11-cyclotaxa-4(20)-en-13-one (2), 9alpha,20-dihydroxy-2alpha,10beta,13alpha-triacetoxytaxa-4(5),11(12)-diene (3), 2alpha,9alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-20-cinnamoyloxy-11,12-epoxytaxa-4-en-13-one (4), 9alpha-hydroxy-2alpha,10beta,13alpha-triacetoxy-5alpha-(3'-methylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (5), 2alpha,10beta-diacetoxy-5alpha,9alpha-dihydroxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (6), 2alpha,9alpha-diacetoxy-5alpha,10beta-dihydroxytaxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (7), 5alpha,9alpha-dihydroxy-2alpha,10beta,13alpha-triacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (8), 5alpha,10beta-dihydroxy-2alpha,9alpha,13alpha-triacetoxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (9), and 7beta,11beta-dihydroxy-2alpha,9alpha,10beta,13-tetraacetoxy-5alpha-cinnamoyloxytaxa-4(20),12-diene (10). Taxane 1 is the first example of a 3,11-cyclotaxane with a 7-epi-alpha-oxygenated group. Taxane 4 is the first taxane with a C-11,12-epoxide ring as well as a C-4(5)-endo-double bond. Taxanes with a 12(13) double bond as in 10 instead of the usual 11(12) double bond have been found so far only in the needles, stem, and seeds of the Japanese yew.