Despite its distance from the active site the flexible amino-terminal segment (NTS) in the β-domain of the plant sesquiterpene cyclase δ-cadinene synthase (DCS) is essential for active site closure and desolvation events during catalysis.

Two new eudesmane sesquiterpenes, 2alpha-hydroxy pterodontic acid (1) and pterodolide [3alpha-(2-methyl-2,3-epoxy)-butyric-4alpha-acetoxy-8beta-ethoxy eudesma-7(11)-en-8alpha,12-olide (2), along with five known compounds (3-7) were isolated from the aerial parts of Laggera pterodonta. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. The immunosuppressive activity of the i...

Pulicaria species, such as Pulicaria undulata, are rich in sesquiterpene lactones. The methylene chloride/ methanol (1:1) extract of P. undulata resulted in the isolation of new sesquiterpenes (1–4), as well as previously reported metabolites (5–14). Structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Using a mouse peritoneal macrophage bioassay, lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide inhibi...

From the methanolic extract of the rhizomes of Curcuma comosa cultivated in Thailand, six new sesquiterpenes, (+)- and (-)-comosols (1, 2), comosones I (3), II (4), and III (5), and dimethoxycurcumenone (6), were isolated. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence.

Two new secondary metabolites, the phenylpropanoid 3-(2',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)propanoic acid (1) and the sesquiterpene (+)-1beta,4beta,6alpha-trihydroxyeudesmane (2) were isolated from the heartwood of Cordia trichotoma Vell., along with the known sesquiterpenes (-)-1beta,4beta,7alpha-trihydroxyeudesmane (3) and (+)-1beta,4beta,11-trihydroxyoppositane (4). Their structures were elucidated by ...

Two new sesquiterpenes, sarcandralactones A (1) and B (2), and five new dimeric sesquiterpenoids, sarcandrolides A-E (3-7), along with 10 known compounds were isolated from the whole plants of Sarcandra glabra. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Some of the new isolates exhibit significant cytotoxicities when tested against a small panel of tumor cell lines.

From the dichloromethane extract of aerial parts of Ferula vesceritensis (Apiaceae), 11 sesquiterpene derivatives were isolated. Among them five were compounds designated as 10-hydroxylancerodiol-6-anisate, 2,10-diacetyl-8-hydroxyferutriol-6-anisate, 10-hydroxylancerodiol-6-benzoate, vesceritenone and epoxy-vesceritenol. The six known compounds were identified as feselol, farnesiferol A, lapido...