Abdelhakim Elomri

Variability of two essential oils of Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC., a traditional Algerian medicinal plant.

The essential oils of the aerial parts of Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC collected from two Algerian localities, El Kala (near the coast) and Béjaia (from a meadow about 10 km from the coast), were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Although both samples showed similar overall chemical compositions, the major components of the Béjaia sample were identified as being spathulenol (14.8%), caryophyllene oxide (12.2%), salvial-4(14)en-1-one (10.1%), 1,5-epoxysalvial-4(14)ene (5.2%) and germacrene D (3.2%), while in the El Kala sample the main compounds were found to be salvial-4(14)en-1-one (16.4%), 1,5-epoxysalvial-4(14)ene (6.5%), chrysanthenyl acetate (5.2%) and α-amorphene (2.9%).

Synthesis, dimerization, and biological activity of hexaoxygenated chalcones related to calythropsin and combretastatins.

Five new hexaoxygenated chalcones and one new chalcone photodimer were synthesized and their cytotoxicity against leukemia cell line L-1210 was studied. The three more active compounds were tested for their activity on the inhibition and promotion of tubulin assembly and it was found that these chalcones do not interfere with the tubulin-microtubule system at cytotoxic concentrations, and therefore operate by some different mechanism of action.

SECONDARY CONSTITUENTS FROM Carum montanum

1) Departement de Chimie, Faculte de Sciences, Universite Mentouri Constantine, Route d’Ain el Bey, 25000Constantine, Algerie, fax: 213 31 81 88 85, e-mail: salah4dz@yahoo.fr; 2) Departement de Biologie, Faculte de Sciences,Universite Ferhat Abbas, 19000 Setif, Algerie; 3) Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Universite de Rouen-Haute Normandie,UMR6014-CNRS, Faculte de Pharmacie, 22 Boulevard Gambetta, F-76183 Rouen Cedex, France; 4) Laboratoire de ChimieAnalytique, ADEN EA 3234, Universite de Rouen-Haute Normandie, Faculte de Pharmacie, 22 Boulevard Gambetta, F-76183Rouen Cedex 1, France. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 411-412, July-August, 2008. Original articlesubmitted January 29, 2007. 510 0009-3130/08/4404-0510

Cazolobine, a New Sesquiterpene from Isolona hexaloba (Annonaceae)

Abstract Methyl 7-(5’,5’-dimethyltetrahydrofuran-2’-yl)-3-methylocta-2,6-dieneoate (cazolobine), a new sesquiterpene derivative was isolated from the root of Isolona hexaloba (Annonaceae) collected in Gabon. The structure of cazolobine was elucidated on the basis of its spectral data, mainly MS and multiple-pulse NMR.