Planta Med 2007; 73(3): 279-282
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-967113
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

A New Benzofuranone and Anti-HIV Constituents from the Stems of Rhus chinensis

Qiong Gu1 , 4 , Rui-Rui Wang2 , 4 , Xue-Mei Zhang1 , Yun-Hua Wang2 , 4 , Yong-Tang Zheng2 , 3 , Jun Zhou1 , 3 , Ji-Jun Chen1 , 3
  • 1State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, P. R. China
  • 2Laboratory of Molecular Immunopharmacology, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Diseases Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, P. R. China
  • 3The Joint-Laboratory of Anti-Viral Natural Medicines, Kunming Branch, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, P. R. China
  • 4Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
Further Information

Publication History

Received: September 11, 2006

Accepted: January 8, 2007

Publication Date:
09 February 2007 (online)

Abstract

A new benzofuran lactone, rhuscholide A (1), was isolated from the stems of Rhus chinensis, together with six known compounds: 5-hydroxy-7-(3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,6,10,11-tetraenyl)-2(3H)-benzofuranone (2), betulin (3), betulonic acid (4), moronic acid (5), 3-oxo-6β-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (6) and 3-oxo-6β-hydroxyolean-18-en-28-oic acid (7). Based on 1D, 2D NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC) and mass (EI-MS, HR-EI-MS) spectral data, the structure of rhuscholide A was deduced to be 5-hydroxy-3-(propan-2-ylidene)-7-(3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,6,10,11-tetraenyl)-2(3H)-benzofuranone (1). Anti-HIV-1 bioassays in vitro revealed that compound 1 possesses significant anti-HIV-1 activity with an EC50 value of 1.62 μM and a therapeutic index (TI) of 42.40. Compounds 2, 4, 5 and 7 showed moderate anti-HIV-1 activities with EC50 values of 3.70, 5.81, 7.49 and 13.11 μM, respectively.

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Prof. Dr. Ji-Jun Chen

State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China

Kunming Institute of Botany

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Heilongtan

Kunming 650204

People’s Republic of China

Phone: +86-871-522-3265

Fax: +86-871-522-3265

Email: chenjj@mail.kib.ac.cn