NOVEL CYTOTOXIC 1H-CYCLOPENTA[B]BENZOFURAN LIGNANS FROM AGLAIA-ELLIPTICA

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the stems and fruits of Aglaia ellipt ica using human oral epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells, led to the isola tion of five cyclopenta[b]benzofurans, constituted by methyl rocaglate (1) and four novel compounds (2-5), along with three known dammarane triterpenoids. Compound 5 possesses an unusual formyl ester substituen t at the C-l position. The structures of the novel compounds were esta blished on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1-5 were foun d to be very potent cytotoxic substances when evaluated against a pane l of human cancer cell lines. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.