Chemical constituents from Strychnos cathayensis

Secostrychnosin (1), a new secoiridoid, as well as seven compounds never be fore isolated from nature: 4-tert-butyl-2-oxazolidinone (2), 3-acetoxyindol e (3), indole-2-carboxylic acid (4), benzocaine (5), 3-acetylindole (6), bu tylparaben (7) and 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (8), together with fifty other known compounds, have been isolated from the stem of Strychnos catha yensis. These compounds include twenty-three alkaloids, twelve benzenoids, four steroids, three flavonoids, three iridoids, two triterpenoids, two sec oiridoids, two fatty acids, one lignan, one acetophenone, one coumarin, one chromane, one tetraterpenoid, one tannin, and one organic acid. The struct ures of these compounds were determined by means of spectral analyses.