New Dimeric Aporphine Alkaloids and Cytotoxic Constituents of Hernandia nymphaeifolia

Abstract

Three minor new dimeric aporphine alkaloids, oviisocorydine (1), ovihernangerine (2), and oxohernandaline (3), along with four known alkaloids, (+)-hernandaline, (+)-thalicarpine, (+)-N-methylovigerine, and N-methylcorydaldine, and five known lignans, (+)-epimagnolin, (+)-epiaschantin, (+)-epiyangambin, (-)-deoxypodophyllotoxin, and (-)-yatein, have been additionally isolated from the trunk bark of Hernandia nymphaeifolia. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Among forty-four isolates obtained till now, nine compounds, hernandonine (4), hernanymphine (5), demethylsonodione (6), (+)-ovigerine (7), (+)-N-methylovigerine (8), N-formyldehydroovigerine (9), 4-methoxyoxohernandaline (10), (-)-deoxypodophyllotoxin (11), and (-)-yatein (12) showed significant cytotoxic activities (ED₅₀ values < 1 µg/ml) against P-388, KB16, A549, and HT-29 cell lines.

Key words

Hernandia nymphaeifolia - Hernandiaceae - alkaloid - aporphine - dimeric aporphine - oviisocorydine - ovihernangerine - oxohernandaline - lignan - cytotoxic activity