Chih Chuang Liaw

Antitumor agents. Part 218: Cappamensin A, a new In vitro anticancer principle, from Capparis sikkimensis.

A new inhibitor of in vitro tumor cell replication, cappamensin A (1) (2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one, 6-methoxy-2-methyl-4-carbaldehyde), was isolated from the roots of Capparis sikkimensis subsp. formosana using bioactivity-guided fractionation. The structure of 1 was established by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR analyses. Compound 1 displayed significant in vitro anticancer activity against ovarian (1A9), lung (A549), ileocecal (HCT-8), breast (MCF-7), nasopharyngeal (KB), and vincristine resistant (KB-VIN) human tumor cell lines with ED(50) values </=4 microgram/mL (mean GI(50) value of 15.1 microM).

Chemical Constituents from the Hydrangea chinensis

Two quinazolone alkaloids, (+)-febrifugine (1) and isofebrifugine (2), along with three coumarin derivatives, 6-hydroxy coumarin (3), skimmin (5), and umbelliferone-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), were isolated from the roots ofHydrangea chinensis. Compound6 is a new compound. In addition, umbelliferone (4), linoleic acid (7), two steroidal glycosides (8, 9), three furfural derivatives (10–12), and butyl-β-D-fructofuranoside (13) were isolated from the leaves of the same plant. The structures of all isolates were elucidated by spectral methods.

Two sesquiterpene-coumarins from the roots of Ferula marmarica

Two new sesquiterpene-coumarin conjugates designated foetidin acetate and foetidone were isolated from the roots of Ferula marmarica. The structures of the sesquiterpene-coumarins have been fully characterized by spectroscopic methods, among which foetidin acetate was confirmed by single-crystal X-Ray crystallography. Absolute configuration of both new compounds was established by CD.