Planta Med 2012; 78 - PI220
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1320907

New myrsinane-related diterpenes from Euphorbia falcata

A Vasas 1, P Forgo 1, E Sulyok 1, Z Nádasdi 1, A Zana 2, J Hohmann 1
  • 1Institute of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Eötvös u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
  • 2Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of Szeged, Somogyi u. 4, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary

Euphorbiaceae species are well known for the chemical diversity of their isoprenoid constituents. Among isoprenoids, diterpenoids are of particular interest because of their restricted occurrence and broad structural diversity, including the high variety of carbon skeletons. Myrsinane, premyrsinane and cyclomyrsinane diterpenes containing 5/7/6-, 5/7/6/3- and 5/6/7/4-fused ring systems, respectively, occur in the plants in highly oxygenated form, mainly as polyesters. Premyrsinanes and cyclomyrsinanes are relatively rare, to date only from nine Euphorbia species were reported such diterpenoids.

The present paper reports the isolation of five diterpenes from the chloroform-soluble fraction of the MeOH extract prepared from the whole plant of E. falcata by combination of CC, VLC, CPC, PLC and HPLC. The compounds were identified by extensive spectroscopic analysis as penta- and hexaesters of myrsinane, premyrsinane and cyclomyrsinane polyols, esterified with acetic, benzoic, n-propanoic and isobutanoic acids. All isolated compounds are new natural products; one of them contains a rare hemiacetal moiety.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the New Hungary Development Plan projects TÁMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KONV-2010–0005 and TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1–2010–0012. A. Vasas acknowledges the award of a János Bolyai scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.