Planta Med 2010; 76 - P148
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264446

Pre-myrsinanes and deoxygenated phorboids from the Iranian spurge Euphorbia macroclada Boiss.

Y Shokoohinia 1, O Taglialatela-Scafati 2, S Sajjadi 1, B Zolfaghari 1, G Appendino 3
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar jarib Ave Isfahan, Iran, Islamic Republic Of
  • 2Dipartimento di Chimica delle Sostanze Naturali, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
  • 3Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Alimentari, Farmaceutiche e Farmacologiche, università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Bovio 6, 3, 28100 Novara, Italy

VEGFR antagonism was recently reported for some myrsinane polyesters [1], a very surprising observation since kinase inhibitors are generally flat molecules that act as an ATP-mimics, while myrsinanes diterpenoids are exuberant in terms of tridimensional chirality and structural complexity. This report prompted us to systematically investigate a series of spurges for the presence of myrsinane-type polyesters, and we report that Euphorbia macroclada Boiss, a spurge endemic to the Iranian plateau, is a good source of this type of compounds. It had previously been reported to contain cytotoxic [2] principles; besides the new pre-myrsinane polyesters 1a, 1b and 2, a series of deoxygenated phorboids of general formula 3 (R1=H, Ac, 4H=-β or -α; R2=short alkyl chain) were obtained.

Fig.1

All new compounds were structurally elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and especially 2D NMR measuremets.

References: 1. Hussain, S. et al. (2008). BMC Cell Biology.9:7.

2. Sadeghi-Aliabadi, H. et al. (2009) IJPR. 5:103–108.