Immunosuppressive sesquiterpenes from Tripterygium wilfordii

Abstract

Five new sesquiterpenes, 1β-furanoyl-2β,3α,7α, 8β,11-pentaacetoxy-4α,5α-dihydroxy-dihydroagarofuran (1), 1β,2β,3α,5α,7β,8β,11-heptaacetoxy- dihydroagarofuran (2), 1β-furanoyl-2β,3α,7α,8β,11- pentaacetoxy-5α-hydroxy-dihydroagarofuran (3), 1β,7β,8α- triacetoxy-2β-furanoyl-4α-hydroxy-11-isobutyryloxy-dihydroagarofuran (4), and 1β-nicotinoyl-2β,5α,7β-triacetoxy-4α- hydroxy-11-isobutyryloxy-8α-furanoyl-dihydroagarofuran (5), were isolated from the xylem of Tripterygium wilfordii, together with a known compound (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic studies. Compounds 2-5 showed significant immunosuppressive activities. © 2005 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.