An investigation of the polar glycosidic fraction from the leaves of myrtle afforded four galloylated nonprenylated phloroglucinol glucosides (3a-d) related to the endoperoxide hormone G3 (4) in terms of structure and biogenesis. Despite their close similarity, significant antibacterial activity was shown only by one of these compounds (3b, gallomyrtucommulone B), while the G3 hormone (4) was inactive.

Keywords: Antitumour agents / Natural products / Taxoids / TerpenoidsThe retro-aldol reductive fragmentation of different structural types of 7-hydroxy-9,10-dioxotaxoids was investigated, showing that the reaction is typical of taxanes and requires cerium(III) promotion with NaBH 4 in protic medium and alkylboron (aluminium) hydrides in aprotic solvents. The re-

The acylative modification of IDN 5390 (3a), a 7,8-secotaxoid under preclinical development, was investigated. A modest decrease of potency was observed upon acylation of the primary and the enolic hydroxyls, suggesting that, just like in paclitaxel, the hydroxyl groups in the upper right-hand sector are not critical for cytotoxicity. The activity of these analogues, and especially of the chemically robust carbonates 3c and 3d, makes it unlikely that the activity of IDN 5390 is due to in vivo oxidation to a fledgling 7-aldehyde and re-aldolization to the corresponding taxane derivative.

A redetermination of the crystal structure of minodronic acid monohydrate was carried out in order to provide accurate atomic coordinates and geometry information, whose knowledge is fundamental to elucidate the presumed polymorphism of the compound at room temperature.