In the continuation of our work on bioactive secondary metabolites from the plants
of the family Euphobiaceae from Thailand [1], we have isolated a new clerodane diterpene
which we have named spiciflorin (1) and the known clerodane columbin (2), besides
3, 3' 4-O-trimethyl ellagic acid (3), scopoletin (4), trans-4-propenylphenol glycoside (5), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (6) from the roots of Cleidion spiciflorum (Burm.f.) Merr., collected from Northern Thailand. The structure of the new compound
was established by 1H, 13CNMR, DEPTs, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY as well as by HRMS.
Spiciflorin (1) was found to be inactive when evaluated, by the SRB method, for its capacity to inhibit
the in vitro growth of three human tumour cell lines: MCF-7 (breast), NCI-H-460 (lung) and SF-268
(brain).
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Unidade de I&D 226/96),
POCTI (QA III), FEDER and CIIMAR Plurianual
References: [1] P. Pinho et al. (2006) The 10th International Congress Phytoparm 2006 „Actual Problem of creation of new medicinal
preparations of natural origin“. St. Petersburg, Russia, 27–30 July 2006.