Minor valepotriates from Valeriana jatamansi and their cytotoxicity against metastatic prostate cancer cells.

Ten new valepotriates, jatamanvaltrates P-Y (1-10) and a known one, nardostachin (11), have been isolated from the whole plants of Valeriana jatamansi. The structures of the new compounds were determined by detailed spectroscopic data analysis. The isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against PC-3M cells, and a structure-activity relationship was examined for all the valepotriates isolated from V.

(E)-N'-(3,5-Dibromo-2-hydroxy-benzyl-idene)nicotinohydrazide.

In the title Schiff base compound, C(13)H(9)Br(2)N(3)O(2), there is an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond involving the hydroxyl substituent and the adjacent hydrazine N atom. The mol-ecule is almost planar, the dihedral angle between the benzene ring and the pyridine ring being 5.7 (2)°.

N'-(2-Methoxy-benzyl-idene)nicotinohydrazide.

The title compound, C(14)H(13)N(3)O(2), was prepared by the reaction of 2-methoxy-benzyaldehyde with nicotinic acid hydrazide in methanol. The dihedral angle between the benzene and pyridine rings is 5.9 (3)°.

N'-(2-Meth-oxy-1-naphthyl-idene)nicotino-hydrazide.

The title compound, C(18)H(15)N(3)O(2), was prepared by the reaction of 2-methoxy-naphthaldehyde with nicotinic acid hydrazide in methanol. The dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the pyridine ring is 9.2 (3)°.

Incarviditone: a novel cytotoxic benzofuranone dimer from Incarvillea delavayi Bureau et Franchet.

A novel benzofuranone dimer, named incarviditone (1), along with known rengyolone (2), was isolated from Incarvillea delavayi Bureau et Franchet. The structure of the new compound was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, especially 2D-NMR and MS analyses. Compound 1 is the first example of a benzofuranone dimer connected by a C--C bond, which presents a new C-skeleton.