A new pyranoflavanone, sanggenol L (1), a Diels-Alder type adduct regarded as a cycloaddition product of a dehydrogeranylflavanone and a prenylchalcone, sanggenol M (2), along with four new 2-arylbenzofurans with isoprenoid units, mulberrofurans W-Z (3-6), were isolated together with 10 known flavonoids from Chinese Morus mongolica. The structures of these novel compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. All flavanones investigated here showed higher cytotoxicity against human oral tumor cell lines (HSC-2 and HSG) than against normal human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Among them, the cytotoxicity of compound 2 and the Diels-Alder type flavanone sanggenon C (7) isolated from Morus cathayana were the most potent. On the other hand, seven 2-arylbenzofurans exhibited lower cytotoxicity and tumor specificity as compared with flavanones.

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Hemsleya dolichocarpa was studied for its cucurbitacin contents during growing period. A colorimetric method was used to determine the total cucurbitacin levels, and a TLC densitometric assay was employed for estimating dihydrocucurbitacin F and its acetate, two active principles in Hemsleya plants. Cucurbitacin contents rise progressively from May to November; the month of November is thus the most desirable time for harvesting plant materials for medicinal uses. It was noticed that the spoiled plant samples gave an intense color reaction while dihydrocucurbitacin F and its acetate levels were not significantly altered. The accuracy of the assays is discussed.