Dendrobium nobile is one of the fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Sesquiterpene alkaloids are the main active components in this plant. Due to weak ultraviolet absorption and low content in D. nobile, these sesquiterpene alkaloids have not been extensively studied using chromatographic methods. Herein, tandem mass spectrometry combined with liquid chromatography separation prov...

Leishmaniasis is a worldwide parasitic disease, caused by monoflagellate parasites of the genus Leishmania. In the search for more effective agents against these parasites, the identification of molecular targets has been attempted to ensure the efficiency of drugs and to avoid collateral damages on the host's cells. In this work, we have investigated some of the mechanisms of action of a group...

The insect antifeedant activities of pterocarpans and a sesquiterpene alcohol from the dichloromethane extract of Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kruz. (Leguminosae) were evaluated against the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura F. (Noctuidae), and the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe)(Rhinotermitidae). Three pterocarpans, (-)-homopterocarpin (1), (-)-pterocarpin (2), and (-)-hydroxyh...

West Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) has long been exploited for its fragrant, sesquiterpene-rich heartwood; however sandalwood fragrance qualities vary substantially, which is of interest to the sandalwood industry. We investigated metabolite profiles of trees from the arid northern and southeastern and semi-arid southwestern regions of West Australia for patterns in composition and ...

The global burden of cancer continues to increase largely with the aging and growth of the world population. The purpose of the present work was to find new anticancer molecules from a natural source. We utilized chromatographic methods to isolate compounds from medicinal plant Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schott. The structure of the new compounds was determined by spectroscopic and spectrometric ...

Hop (Humulus lupulus L. Cannabaceae) is an economically important crop for the brewing industry, where it is used to impart flavor and aroma to beer, and has also drawn attention in recent years due to its potential pharmaceutical applications. Essential oils (mono- and sesquiterpenes), bitter acids (prenylated polyketides), and prenylflavonoids are the primary phytochemical components that acc...

HS-SPME-GC-MS has been suggested as a fast and robust analytical platform for the product characterization of sesquiterpene synthases. The choice of fiber and injection temperature can have a significant effect on the observed product profile, due to the chemical rearrangements that can occur on the fiber material. Here we present a systematic study on the effects of fiber choice and injection ...

Plant sesquiterpene synthases, a subset of the terpene synthase superfamily, are a mechanistically diverse family of enzymes capable of synthesizing hundreds of complex compounds with high regio- and stereospecificity and are of biological importance due to their role in plant defense mechanisms. In the current report we describe a large-scale, high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of ∼200 plan...

A novel spirocyclic drimane coupled by two drimane fragment building blocks 2 and a new drimane 1 were identified in mycelia and culture broth of Stachybotrys sp. MF347. Their structures were established by spectroscopic means. This is the first example of spirocyclic drimane coupled by a spirodihydrobenzofuranlactam unit and a spirodihydroisobenzofuran unit; and the connecting position being N...

A facile synthesis of a 5,7,5-fused ring system that is present in thapsigargins belonging to a novel family of sesquiterpene lactones, guainanolides, using domino enyne-RCM is reported here.