2002 Volume 50 Issue 6 Pages 760-765
Five new withanolide derivatives (1, 9—12) were isolated from the roots of Withania somnifera together with fourteen known compounds (2—8, 13—19). On the basis of spectroscopic and physiochemical evidence, compounds 1 and 9—12 were determined to be (20S,22R)-3α,6α-epoxy-4β,5β,27-trihydroxy-1-oxowitha-24-enolide (1), 27-O-β-D-glucopyranosylpubesenolide 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (withanoside VIII, 9), 27-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosylpubesenolide 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (withanoside IX, 10), 27-O-β-D-glucopyranosylpubesenolide 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (withanoside X, 11), and (20R,22R)-1α,3β,20,27-tetrahydroxywitha-5,24-dienolide 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (withanoside XI, 12). Of the isolated compounds, 1, withanolide A (2), (20S,22R)-4β,5β,6α,27-tetrahydroxy-1-oxowitha-2,24-dienolide (6), withanoside IV (14), withanoside VI (15) and coagulin Q (16) showed significant neurite outgrowth activity at a concentration of 1 μM on a human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line.