Studies on the constituents of Helleborus purpurascens: analysis and biological activity of the aqueous and organic extracts.

In Southeast Europe, the ethnomedicinal use of Helleborus species has a very long tradition. Cardiac steroids (Hellebrin), cysteine-rich proteins (Hellethionins) and several steroidal saponins have been identified in these plants. Aim of the present work was to investigate the amino acid composition of native extracts from the root and rootstock of Helleborus purpurascens.

Imino-bridged bisphosphaalkenes (2,4-diphospha-3-azapentadienes).

Deprotonation of aminophosphaalkenes (RMe(2)Si)(2)C=PN(H)(R') (R=Me, iPr; R'=tBu, 1-adamantyl (1-Ada), 2,4,6-tBu(3)C(6)H(2) (Mes*)) followed by reactions of the corresponding Li salts Li[(RMe(2)Si)(2)C=P(M)(R')] with one equivalent of the corresponding P-chlorophosphaalkenes (RMe(2)Si)(2)C=PCl provides bisphosphaalkenes (2,4-diphospha-3-azapentadienes) [(RMe(2)Si)(2)C=P](2)NR'. The thermally unstable tert-butyliminobisphosphaalkene [(Me(3)Si)(2)C=P](2)NtBu (4 a) undergoes isomerisation reactions by Me(3)Si-group migration that lead to mixtures of four-membered heterocyles, but in the presence of an excess amount of (Me(3)Si)(2)C=PCl, 4 a furnishes an azatriphosphabicyclohexene C(3)(SiMe(3))(5)P(3)NtBu (5) that gave red single crystals. Compound 5 contains a diphosphirane ring condensed with an azatriphospholene system that exhibits an endocylic P=C double bond and an exocyclic ylidic P((+))-C((-))(SiMe(3))(2) unit.