Search and structural elucidation of medicinal products from the vegetable kingdom (crude drugs and plant materials)

Abstract

This review describes chemical and biological studies on natural products achieved by the author for the latest 47 years and its main contents are composed of the following researches of the eight sections, entitled 1) Hopane-type triterpenes from a lichen, Parmelia leucotyliza, 2) Spirostanol and frostanol glycosides from Metanarthecium luteo-viride (Liliaceae), 3) Selective reduction of double bonds: preparation of 22,23-dihydroergosterol from ergosterol, 4) Compositions and structures of fragrant sesquiterpenes from several types of agarwoods, 5) Triterpenes and other components from Meliaceous plants, 6) Constituents of seeds of crude drugs and medicinal plants, 7) Hopane-type triterpene glycosides from a fern, Diplazium subsinuatum, 8) Search and structural elucidation of biologically active components from American plants obtained from United States of America (Oregon and California), Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In this review, many classes of natural products, i.e., terpenoids (mono-, sesqui-, di-, and triterpenoids), steroids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, phenylpropanoids, lignans, flavonoids (flavones, flavonols, flavanones, biflavones, flavan-3-ols, etc.), etc. are dealt with and referred to. © 2007 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.