Three new triketides, botrysphones A–C (1–3) and six new isopimarane-type diterpenoids, botrysphins A–F (4–9), together with the known triketides sphaeropsidone (10) and chlorosphaeropsidone (11) and diterpenoids sphaeropsidins A and B (12 and 13), were obtained from culture of the fungus Botrysphaeria laricina associated with the moss Rhodobryum umgiganteum. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic techniques including HRMS and 1D and 2D NMR data. Compounds 7 and 12 showed significant quinone reductase inducing activity in Hepa 1c1c7 cells.

•Seven new abietane-type diterpenoids were obtained from Croton laevigatus.•Another new aromatic compound, hexyl Z-ferulate was also obtained.•The structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis.•Compounds 2, 7, and 10 showed cytotoxicity against cancer cells.Seven new abietane-type diterpenoids, crotolaevigatones A–G (1–7), one new aromatic compound, hexyl Z-ferulate (8), along with three known diterpenoids (9–11) and one known aromatic ester, hexyl E-ferulate (12), were obtained from the twigs and leaves of Croton laevigatus. The structures of all isolated compounds were established on the basis of extensive NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 2 and 7 exhibited weak anti-proliferative activity against the A549 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, while compound 10 selectively showed significant inhibitory activity against the A549 cancer cells.Download high-res image (192KB)Download full-size image

Two new compounds, 11,11′-dimer of scopoletin (1) and 11-O-β-glucopyranosylhamaudol (2), together with seven known compounds were isolated and identified from the whole grass of Cicuta virosa. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using different spectroscopic methods. In addition, the chemical constituents were evaluated for multidrug resistance reversing activity towards doxorubicin-resistant K562/A02 cells. Compounds 1, 8, and 9 were endowed with remarkable MDR reversing effects.Two new compounds, 11,11′-dimer of scopoletin (1) and 11-O-β-glucopyranosylhamaudol (2), were isolated and identified from the whole grass of Cicuta virosa. Compounds 1, 8, and 9 were endowed with remarkable MDR reversing effects.

Ten new clerodane diterpenoids (1–10), caseabalansins A–G, 18-epicaseabalansin A, 2-epicaseabalansin B, and 2-epicaseabalansin C, one new triterpenoid, balansinone (11), and seven known diterpenoids (12–18) were obtained from the leaves and twigs of Casearia balansae. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first examples of clerodane diterpenoids with an oxygen bridge between C-2 and C-19, and compounds 5–7 are three new diterpenoid artifacts presumably formed during the extraction process. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data, and that of 11 was verified by single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 15 showed cytotoxic activity against the tumor cell lines PC3, DU145, SKOV3, and A549 with IC50 values of 4.5, 4.3, 5.1, and 5.7 μM, respectively. Compounds 1a, 2a, and 4 showed selective activity against PC3 tumor cells.

•Nine new diterpenes were obtained from Orthosiphon aristatus var. aristatus.•The structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis.•Compounds 13, 17, and 23 showed weak cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines.Seven new isopimarane diterpenoids, orthoarisins A−G (1–7), a new secoisopimarane diterpenoid, orthoarisin H (8), a new staminane diterpenoid, orthoarisin I (9), together with 15 previously reported diterpenoids were isolated from the aerial parts of Orthosiphon aristatus var. aristatus. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 13, 17, and 23 showed weak inhibitory activity on the proliferation of the SKOV3, DU145, and PC-3 cell lines.

One new 2-arylbenzofuran derivative, artocarstilbene B (1), one new benzaldehyde derivative, (E)-3,5-dihydroxy-4-(3-methylbut-1-enyl)benzaldehyde (2), as well as 18 known compounds (3–20) were obtained from the leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic techniques including 2D NMR and HR-ESIMS. Many compounds exhibited moderate to weak inhibitory activity against the proliferation of the PC-3, NCI-H460, and A549 cancer cell lines.Twenty compounds including two new ones, artocarstilbene B (1) and (E)-3,5-dihydroxy-4-(3-methylbut-1-enyl)benzaldehyde (2), were isolated from Artocarpus heterophyllus. Some showed inhibitory activity against the proliferation of the PC-3, NCI-H460, and A549 cancer cells.