New iridoids from the fruits of Crescentia cujete

Abstract

Four new 11-nor-iridoids, 6-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl-10-deoxyeucommiol (1), 6-O-benzoyl-10-deoxyeucommiol (2), 6-O-benzoyl-dihydrocatalpolgenin (a mixture of 3 and 4), as well as two known iridoids, ningpogenin (5) and 6-O-p-hydroxybenzoylaucubin (6), were isolated from the fruits of Crescentia cujete Linn. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.

Keywords:

• Crescentia cujete
• calabash tree
• Bignoniaceae
• iridoids

Acknowledgements

This project was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2009CB522300) and MOST (2009ZX09501-029; 2009ZX09501-013).