Muhammad Safder

The Metabolites of the Genus Onopordum (Asteraceae): Chemistry and Biological Properties

Onopordum is an interesting genus belonging to the tribe Cardueae (Asteraceae family), and the species of this genus are used as food and in the popular medicine of several countries. The present paper reviews all the metabolites present in all the species of this genus, reported up to 2009, and several chemotaxonomic consideration have been made. Furthermore, the occurrence in other genus, the spectral data, the synthetic approaches, the chemical modifications and the biological properties of the sesquiterpenes of genus Onopor- dum have been reviewed.

Cytotoxic geranylflavonoids from Bonannia graeca

The analysis of the aerial parts of Bonannia graeca led to the isolation and characterization of polar geranylated flavonoids (6 and 7). The structure elucidation was performed by extensive spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR) and comparison with literature data. All natural flavonoids isolated from B. graeca (1-7) and some synthetic derivatives (8-11) were tested for cytotoxic activity against four human tumor cell lines. Preliminary structure-activity relationship correlations are discussed.

Asphorodin, a potent lipoxygenase inhibitory triterpene diglycoside from Asphodelus tenuifolius

Asphorodin (1), a new diglycoside, has been isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of Asphodelus tenuifolius. It showed significant inhibitory activity against the enzyme lipoxygenase in a concentration-dependent manner. The Lineweaver–Burk and Dixon plots indicated that the nature of inhibition was non-competitive.

Spiraeamide, new sphingolipid from Spiraea brahuica

Spiraeamide (1), a new sphingolipid, has been isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the methanolic extract of the whole plant of Spiraea brahuica, along with marrubiin (2), 19-acetylmarrubenol (3), and 6-acetylmarruenol (4). Their structures were elucidated by 1H and 13C NMR spectra, and COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC, EI-MS, and FAB-MS experiments.

Structural determination of crotamides A and B, the new amides from Croton sparsiflorus

Two new amides crotamides A and B, have been isolated from the n-hexane soluble fraction of Croton sparsiflorus in addition to salisomide and N-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)-octacosanamide reported for the first time from this species. Their structures were assigned from spectral data including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data.

{2-[(3-Bromo­benzyl­idene)amino]-5-chloro­phen­yl}(phen­yl)methanone

In the title compound, C20H13BrClNO, the azomethine double bond [C=N = 1.246 (4) Å] adopts an E conformation. The bromo- and chlorophenyl rings are inclined to one another by 13.70 (11)°, and form dihedral angles of 76.68 (10) and 74.24 (7)°, respectively, with the phenyl ring. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form double stranded chains propagating along the b-axis direction.