The novel photochemical annulation of isoquinoline derivatives to form the 8-oxoprotoberberine derivatives is described. The key step of the reaction is an intramolecular photochemical arylation of 3-chloro-2-phenethyl-1-isoquinolone. The same arylation also proceeds intermolecularly, when 3-chloro-1-isoquinolones are irradiated in benzene.
In addition to [6]-gingerol four new constituents were isolated as potent inhibitors of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis from ginger, the roots of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. Their structures were identified as [6]- and [10]-dehydrogingerdione (I and II) and [6]- and [10]-gingerdione (III and IV) by the interpretation of spectral data.
Four new lipo-alkaloids, named lipoaconitine (10), lipohypaconitine (11), lipomesaconitine (12), and lipodeoxyaconitine (13), have been isolated from Aconiti Tuber ("chuanwu"imported from Si Chuan, China) and their structures elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence.
The absolute configuration of P-1894B (vineomycin A1 (I)), a potent prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, has been established as I from the absolute configuration of two sugar moieties (II, VI) obtained by chemical degradation of I.
Three new ellagitannins, casuariin (5), stachyurin (6) and strictinin (7) have been isolated from Casuarina stricta, and their structures elucidated. Of these, 5 and 6 were found to be C-glucosidic tannins. All of the ellagitannins (1-7) isolated from C. stricta have been found also in Stachyurus praecox.