Chemical constituents and bioactivities of Glinus oppositifolius.

Objectives: To isolate the secondary metabolites from the dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of Glinus oppositifolius; to test for the cytotoxicity of a new triterpene, oppositifolone (1); and to test for the hypoglycemic, analgesic, and antimicrobial potentials of 1, DCM and aqueous leaf extracts of G. oppositifolius.

Methods: The compounds were isolated by silica gel chromatography and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Chemical constituents of Cinnamomum cebuense.

Aim: To investigate the chemical constituents of Cinnamomum cebuense, an endemic and critically endangered tree found only in Cebu, Philippines.

Methods: The compounds were isolated by silica gel chromatography. The structures of the isolates were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy.

A new triterpene from Barringtonia asiatica.

The freeze-dried bark of Barringtonia asiatica afforded a new triterpene: (3β,11α)-11-hydroxyolean-12-en-3-yl palmitate (1). The bark also yielded mixtures of (3β)-olean-12-en-3-yl palmitate (2a), (3β)-urs-12-en-3-yl palmitate (2b) and (3β)-olean-18-en-3-yl palmitate (2c) in a 2:1:4 ratio; β-amyrin (3a), α-amyrin (3b) and germanicol (3c) in a 3:1:4 ratio; 22-O-tigloylcamelliagenin A (4a) and betulinic acid (4b) in a 2:1 ratio; olean-12-en-3β,16β,22α-triol (5), β-sitosterol, spinasterol, squalene and trilinolein. The roots yielded 2a-c and 3a-c as well as trilinolein, spinasterol and squalene, while the flowers afforded verimol k (6), linoleic acid, spinasterol, squalene, phytyl fatty acid ester and trilinolein.

Cytotoxic cardenolide and sterols from Calotropis gigantea.

The dichloromethane extract from the leaves of Calotropis gigantea Linn. was strongly cytotoxic against non-small cell lung carcinoma (A549), colon carcinoma (HCT 116) and hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2), and non toxic to Chinese hamster ovary (AA8). The extract afforded uscharin (1), 3,5,8-trihydroxy-24-methylcholest-6,22-diene (2), a mixture of (24R)-3beta-hydroxy-24-ethylcholest-5-en-7-one (3a) and 6beta-hydroxy-24-ethylcholest-4,22-dien-3-one (3b), and another mixture of (24R)-24-ethylcholest-4-en-3-one (4a) and (24S)-24-ethylcholest-4,22-dien-3-one (4b).

New triterpenes from Barringtonia asiatica.

The leaves of Barringtonia asiatica afforded two new triterpenes, germanicol caffeoyl ester (1) and camelliagenone (2). Their structures were elucidated by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. It also afforded germanicol trans-coumaroyl ester (3), germanicol cis-coumaroyl ester (4), germanicol (5), camelliagenin A (6), spinasterol, sitosterol, squalene, lutein and trilinolein.