Phytoquinoids and secoprezizaane-type sesquiterpenes from Illicium arborescens

Abstract

A phytochemical investigation of the MeOH extract of Illicium arborescens yielded the two new phytoquinoid epimers, 2,3-didehydro-5-O-methyl-11- epiillifunone E (1) and 2,3-didehydro-5-O-methylillifunone E (2), as well as five new sesquiterpene lactones (8,9-secoprezizaane-type sesquiterpenes). Two of them, i.e., 3 and 4, were minwanensin-type sesquiterpenes, the other two, i.e., 5 and 6, had the anisatin-type (or floridanolide type) skeleton, and the fifth, i.e., 7, was a dunnianin-type sesquiterpene. Their structures were established by analyses of 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-MS, and chemical evidence. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of compounds 1 - 7 was tested against four human tumor cell lines, including HeLa (cervical epitheloid), WiDr (colon), Daoy (medulloblastoma), and Hep2 (liver carcinoma) human-tumor cells. © 2010 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG.