No abstract

Structural studies of four new sesquiterpenes, 3β-angeloyloxy-6β-(3-methylbutanoyloxy)- and 3β,6β-bis(angeloyloxy)furanoeremophilan-14-als and 3β-angeloyloxy-6β-(3-methylbutanoyloxy)- and 3β-angeloyloxy-6β-(3-methylpentanoyloxy)furanoeremophilan-14-oic acids, together with 3β,6β-bis(angeloyloxy)furanoeremophilan- 14-oic acid from Syneilesis palmata (Thunb.) Maxim, are described.

Arjungenin, a new triterpene isolated from Terminalia arjuna, is shown to be 2α,3β,19α,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (1). The structures of two new triterpene glucosides, arjunglucoside I and arjunglucoside II, isolated from the same plant, were determined to be β-d-glucopyranosyl 2α,3β,19α,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oate (2) and β-d-glucopyranosyl arjunolate (3), respectively.

Three new quassinoids and four new quassinoid glycosides were isolated from water-soluble fraction of methanol extract of seeds of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr, known as “Ya-dan-zi” in Chinese folklore and their structures were determined by spectral and chemical means. Yadanziosides F, I, J, and L were demonstrated to have antileukemic activity.

Two new quassinoids, shinjudilactone and shinjulactone C were isolated from the root bark of Ailanthus altissima SWingle and their structures were established to be 1β,11α-dihydroxy-2,16-dioxo-13(12→11α)abeo-picras-3-en-12,20-olide and 1α,12α : 5α,13α-dicyclo-1β,12β,20-trihydroxy-9βH-picras-3-ene-2,11,16-trione, respectively, by X-ray diffraction analysis. Shinjudilactone was prepared from ailanthone by benzilic acid rearrangement.