Studies On The Active Constituents From Torreya Grandis Cv.merrilli

Torreya grandis cv merrilli belongs to the genus of Torreya, family of Taxaceae. In recent years, the plants from the different genus of the same family are becoming the focus because of the isolation of the taxol. It has been reported that kayaflavone and the derivatives isolated from T grandis, T nucjfera, T yunnanensis and T jackii showed antiviral activities. The kayaflavones were only reported in the genus of Torreya and taxol was also detected in trace in this genus. Torreyaflavone and torreyaflavonoloside, which possessed antitumor activity were also obtained from T grandis. The main purpose of our study is to find the bioactive constituents form the aril of Torreya grandis cv. merrilli. The aril was extracted with 85% ethanol. Then the ethanol extract was suspended in water and partitioned with petroleum ether, CH2C12 and n-BuOH successively. The fractions of CH2C12 and n-BuOH showed cytotoxic activity in vitro. Guided by anti -pyricularia oryzae activity, employed various chromatography methods, twelve compounds were isolated from the CH2CI2 and the n-BuOH fractions. The structures of the twelve compounds were elucidated as torreyagrandate (I) 1 8-oxoferruginol (II), 1 8-hydroxylferruginol (III), hinokiol (IV), tetramethyl-amentoflavone (V), 4-epiagathadial (VI), 5-hydroxylborneol (VII), pinonesinol (VIH), 2? 4 ?dihydroxyl-3, 5-dimethoxy-lariciresinol (IX), 4-hydroxyl-2-methoxyl -a-hydroxylmethylphenyl ethanol (X), dihydrodehydrodiconiferylalcohol (XI), J3-sitosterol (XII) were elucidated byspectralanalysisandchemicalproperties.Compounds II, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IV and VI were obtained from Torreya genus and V and X were also obtained from the family of Taxaceae for the first time. Compound IX is a novel natural product. The structure of compound V is similar to kayaflavone and it has relatively high content in the aril. In the preliminary pharmacological tests, compounds II and V showed strong cytotoxic activity. Compound V is also founded to inhibit HbsAg and HbeAg. Compound I possessed inhibition of replication of human inimunodeficiency virus in vitro. And its 1C50.. EC50 and therapeutic index were 1 25ug/ml, 1.51 zig/mi and 82.7 ug/mi, respectively. Further research is in progress.