NEW WITHANOLIDES FROM THE ROOTS OF WITHANIA-SOMNIFERA

The non-basic fraction of the benzene and ethyl acetate extracts of th e roots of Withania somnifera furnish six withanolides, of which three are new, in addition to beta-sitosterol, its 3-O-beta-D(+)-glucoside and linear benzo[6:7]chroman. The structures of new withanolides, with asomniferols A to C have been established respectively as 5 alpha, 20 alpha(F)(R), 27-trihydroxy-6 alpha,7 alpha-epoxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dieno lide 5, 5 alpha,20 alpha(F)(R)-dihydroxy-6 alpha,7 alpha-expoxy-1-oxow itha-2-enolide 6 and 5 alpha,14 alpha,20 lpha(F)(R)-trihydroxy-1-oxowi tha-2,7,24-trienolide 7 by a study of their physical and spectral (UV, IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR and Mass) characteristics.