Chemical investigation of a collection of the fungus Neosartorya glabra from Thailand furnished sartoryglabins A-C ( 1a , 1b and 2 ) which are analogs of the reverse prenylated indole alkaloids known as (-) ardeemins. Structures of these compounds were established by NMR spectrometry and an X-ray analysis. Sartoryglabins A-C were evaluated for their in vitro growth inhibitory activity on three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (melanoma). All the compounds exhibited strong to moderate activity against the MCF-7 cell line but weak or no activity against the NCI-H460 and A375-C5 cell lines. Sartoryglabin B was found to exhibit selectivity towards the MCF-7 cell line.

The water soluble portion of the aerial parts of Hypericum canariense L. yielded after acetylation the 5,7,3′4′-tetra- and 7,3′4′-triacetates of a new flavonoid 5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-3-O-β-d-(methyl 2,3,4-triacetoxypyranuronyl)-quercetin, the 3′-acetate of a new flavonoid 3′-hydroxy-5,7,4′-trimethoxy-3-O-β-d-(methyl 2,3,4-triacetoxypyranuronyl)-quercetin, the 3′-acetate and the 3′5′-diacetate of the new flavonoid 5,3′dihydroxy-7,4′-dimethoxy-3-β-d-(methyl 2,3,4-triacetoxypyranuronyl)-quercetin, the xanthone derivative mangiferin 2′,3′,4′,6′-tetraacetate and the latter's new 1,3,6,7′-tetramethoxy, 1,3,6-trimethoxy-4-acetoxy and 1,7-diacetoxy-3,6-dimethoxy analogs.

An ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Delphinium gracile DC. yielded five flavonol glycosides quercetin-3-O-{[beta-d-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)-4-O-(E-p-caffeoyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)][beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)]}-beta-d-glucopyranoside (1), quercetin-3-O-{[beta-d-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)-4-O-(E-p-coumaroyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)][beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)]}-beta-d-glucopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-{[beta-d-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)-4-O-(Z-p-coumaroyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)][beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)]}-beta-d-glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-{[beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1-->3)-4-O-(E-p-coumaroyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)][beta-d-glucopyranoside-7-O-(4-O-acetyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (4) kaempferol-3-O-{[beta-d-glucopyranosyl (1-->3)-4-O-(E-p-coumaroyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)][beta-d-glucopyranoside-7-O-(4-O-acetyl)-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (5) in addition to 4-(beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6) and rutin. Structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

An ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Delphinium staphisagria L. from Tenerife yielded four new flavonol glycosides 2″-acetylastragalin, 2″-acetylpaeonoside, quercetin 3-O-(2-acetyl-β-glucopyranoside)-7-O-β-glucopyranoside and 2″-acetylpetiolaroside in addition to astragalin, isoquercitrin, paeonoside, kaempferol 3-O-β-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, petiolaroside and rutin.

Aerial parts of Xenophyllum incisum (Phil.)V. A. Funk (syn.Werneria incisa Phil.) were collected at 4300 m above sea level in the Departamento Susques, between Susques and Paso de Jama, 30 km before arriving in Paso de Jama.A voucher specimen (LIL 606089) is deposited in the herbarium of the Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucuma ´n.Aerial parts of this species of the highlands of Northwestern Argentina, Northern Chile and Bolivia, known under the common names ''pupusa de agua'', ''pupusa del cerro'', ''poposa'', and ''popusa'', are used locally to prepare infusions for the treatment of hepatic disorders, ''apunamiento'' (altitude sickness) and chills and for washing rheumatic feet.This species is frequently confused with Xenophyllum poposum (Phil.)V. A. Funk (syn.Werneria poposa Phil.).In folk medicine the uses for both species are essentially the same (Giberti, 1983;Shemluck, 1982). Previous workX. incisum (Phil.)V. A. Funk (Senecioneae, Asteraceae) is one of the 21 species of the Andean genus Xenophyllum that has recently been removed from Werneria s.l.(Funk, 1997).

The polyoxygenated clerodane, spiciflorin (1a), was isolated from Cleidion spiciflorum (Burm. f.) Merr. (Euphorbiaceae). Other constituents were the glucoside of anol (2), columbin, scopoletin, 3,3',4-O-trimethylellagic acid, acetylaleuritolic acid, common triterpenes and phenols.

Extraction of roots and stems of Cleistanthus gracilis furnished common triterpenes, plant sterols and the unusual glucoside (+) gracicleistanthoside, the glucoside of 2-β-hydroxy-8-azabicyclo-(5,2,0)-4β,9β-epoxynona-5,7-diene.

1,2-bis.-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropan-1-one (evafolin B, 1), 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropan-1-one (2), were isolated for the first time from the genus Schisandra., along with abscisic acid (3), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (5), methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (6), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (7), and vanillic acid (8). All the compounds were evaluated for their antitumor, antiproliferative, and antioxidant activities. Only compound 7 exhibited moderate activity against three human cancer cell lines and human lymphocytic proliferation, as well as strong inhibitory activity for DPPH free radicals, only slightly less than ascorbic acid.

Fasciculatin, a furanosesterterpene isolated from the marine sponge Ircinia variabilis from the Atlantic Coast of Morocco, has been evaluated for its influence on a mitogen-induced proliferation of human lymphocytes and growth of human tumor cell lines.

Aerial parts of Aconitum variegatum L. from the Pyrenees furnished four norditerpene alkaloids, 16β-hydroxycardiopetaline, 8-ethoxysachaconitine, 14-acetylgenicunine B, N-deethyl-N-19-didehydrosachaconitine, five diterpene alkaloids 15-veratroyldictizine, 15-veratroyl-17-acetyldictizine, 15-veratroyl-17-acetyl-19-oxodictizine, N-ethyl-1α-hydroxy-17-veratroyldictizine, variegatine and the known alkaloids sachaconitine, 14-O-acetylsachaconitine, karakoline, talatizamine, 10-hydroxytalatizamine, 14-acetyltalatizamine, 14-acetyl-10-hydroxytalatizamine, N-methylarmepavine, pengshenin B, delsoline, dihydrodelsoline, delcosine and genicunin B. Structures of the alkaloids were established by MS, 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques.

Tissue cell cultures of Delphinium staphisagria L. produced three dianthramide glucosides N-(2'-beta-glucopyranosylsalicyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid methyl ester, N-(2'-beta-glucopyranosyl-5'-methoxysalicyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid methyl ester and N-(2'-beta-glucopyranosyl-5'-hydroxysalicyl)-5-hydroxy-6-methoxyanthranilic acid methyl ester, together with known methyl esters of N-salicylanthranilic acid and N-(2'-beta-glucopyranosyl-5'-hydroxysalicyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid. Structures of the glucosides were established by MS, 1-D and 2-D NMR techniques.

Aerial parts of a collection of Delphinium pentagynum Lam. from Niebla, Southern Spain, furnished one diterpene alkaloid, 2-dehydrodeacetylheterophylloidine, two norditerpene alkaloids, 14-demethyl-14-isobutyrylanhweidelphinine and 14-demethyl-14-acetylanhweidelphinine, the known alkaloids 14-deacetylnudicauline, methyllycaconitine, 14-deacetyl-14-isobutyrylnudicauline, 14-acetylbrowniine, browniine, delcosine, lycoctonine, 18-methoxygadesine, neoline, karakoline and the aporphine alkaloid magnoflorine. Structures of the alkaloids were established by MS, 1D and 2-D NMR techniques.

The CHCl3 extract of the bark of Garcinia speciosa contained four 17,14-friedolanostanes and five lanostanes as well as friedelin and common plant constituents. The friedolanostanes were the previously known methyl ester of (24E)-3α,23α-dihydroxy-17,14-friedolanostan-8,14,24-trien-26-oic acid and the methyl esters of three hitherto unknown acids, 3α-hydroxy-16α,23α-epoxy-17,14-friedolanostan-8,14,24-trien-26-oic acid, 3α,23α-dihydroxy-8α,9α-epoxy-17,14-friedolanostan-15-oxo-24-en-26-oic acid and 3α,23α-dihydroxy-17,14-friedolanostan-15-oxo-8(14),24-dien-26-oic acid. New lanostanes were 3β,9α-dihydroxylanost-24-en-26-al and the methyl ester of 3β-hydroxy-23-oxo-9,16-lanostadien-26-oic acid. Structures were established by analysis of spectroscopic data. In the case of the lanostanes the previously unassigned C-25 stereochemistry was shown to be 25R by X-ray analysis of 3β-hydroxy-23-oxo-9,16-lanostadien-26-oic acid. In the case of the friedolanostanes the configuration at C-23 was established as 23R, identical with the absolute configuration at C-23 of mariesiic acids A and B.

Ethyl acetate extracts of the samples of Suberea aff. praetensa, collected in different dates but at the same locality in the Gulf of Thailand, furnished, besides clionasterol, fourteen tyrosine derived metabolites: fistularin-3; agelorins A and B; cavernicolin 1; cavernicolin 2; 5chlorocavernicolin; 5-bromocavernicolin; 3,5-dibromo-1-hydroxy-4-oxo-2,5-cyclohexadiene1-acetamide; 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenylacetamide; bis-oxazolidone derivative as well as the new compounds 11,17-dideoxyagelorins A and B and subereatensin.

Aerial parts of Vernonanthura nebularum, an Argentine endemic whose occurrence is limited to a small area in northwestern Argentina, afforded seven new sesquiterpene lactones of a type characteristic of some Elephantopodiinae rather than Vernonanthura of Vernoniinae. Structures were elucidated by high field H-1-NMR spectrometry. In revising the generic and subtribal classification of neotropical Vernoniae H. Robinson (Robinson, 1994, 1999) established the new genus Vernonanthura as a segregate from Vernonia sensu stricto (Robinson, 1992) and subsequently included within it (Robinson, 1995) Vernonia nebularum Cabrera as Vernonanthura nebularum (Cabr.) H. Robinson (Cabrera, 1978). Earlier chemical studies of Vernonanthura species, frequently under the old Vernonia binomials (Robinson, 1999), had resulted in the isolation of a variety of flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones similar to or identical with such compounds found in other Vernonieae (Wagner et al., 1972; Mabry et al., 1975; Bohlmann and Zdero, 1977, 1988; Maldonado et al., 1980; Bohlmann et al., 1981a,b, 1983; Jakupovic et al., 1986, 1987a,b; Catalan et al., 1986, 1988; Stutts, 1988; Bardon et al., 1988, 1992; Budesinsky et al., 1994; Borkosky et al., 1997; Bazon et al., 1997; Kotowicz et al., 1998), while in one instance the occurrence of pimarane and kaurane derivatives was reported (Borkosky et al., 1995). We now describe our chemical study of Vernonanthura nebularum, an Argentine endemic whose occurrence is limited to the Sierra de Calilegua within Jujuy province, Argentina. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aerial parts of Croton hieronymi furnished in addition to a large number of plant sterols and triterpenes the C-25 analog of trans-phytol, the squalene derivatives all-trans-2,6,15,19,23-pentamethyltetracosa-2,6,10,(28),14,22,28-hexaene-11-ol and all-trans-10-methylene-2,6,10,14,18,22-pentamethyltetracosa-1,6,10,14,18,22-hexaen-3-ol, the sesquiterpenes epicubenol and T-cadinol, the acetophenone derivative xanthoxylin and the peptide derivatives aurentiamide acetate and N-benzoylphenylalanyl-N-benzoylphenylalaninate.

Am Institut fur Technische Physik des Forschungszentrums Karlsruhe werden seit mehr als 20 Jahren supraleitende Magnete fur Fusionsreaktoren in der Spulentestanlage TOSKA getestet. Ein wichtiger Testparameter der Magnete, die bis zu 120 Tonnen wiegen, ist die Dichtheit bei Betriebsbedingungen bis minimal 2 K Temperatur und einem He-Kaltemitteldruck von maximal 25 bar. Da die Endtests bei Kryotemperatur sehr kosten- und zeitaufwandig sind, werden bereits wahrend der Fertigung, bei Zwischenprufungen, nach der Installation und vor dem Kaltfahrbetrieb Dichtheitsprufungen bei Raumtemperatur durchgefuhrt. Diese Dichtheitsprufungen nach der Schnuffelmethode erfolgten bislang mit dem Prufgas Helium unter Verwendung eines in der Vakuumtechnik ublichen Massenspektrometer-Lecksuchers. Die hiermit erreichbare kleinste Nachweisempfindlichkeit fur Lecks ist durch den Helium-Untergrund in der Umgebungsluft begrenzt. Daher wurde eine Dichtheitsprufung mit dem nicht naturlich vorkommenden Prufgas Schwefelhexafluorid SF6 und laserakustischem Gasnachweis erprobt. Die Versuchsergebnisse zeigen erhebliche Vorteile des neuen Verfahrens mit SF6 bezuglich Nachweisempfindlichkeit, Prufaufwand und Kosten. Die Ergebnisse lassen sich auf Dichtheitsprufungen in anderen Bereichen der Technik ubertragen.