Four calamenene sequiterpenes, (+)-(7R,10S)-15-hydroxycalamenene (3), (+)-(7R,10S)-2,15-dihydroxycalamenene (4), (+)-(7R,10S)-2-hydroxy-15-calamenal (5), (+)-(7R,10S)-15-calamenal (6), along with the amorphane sesquiterpene (+)-(1S,6R,7R,10S)-1-hydroxy-3-oxo-amorph-4-ene (16), have been isolated from the Madagascan shrub Tarenna madagascariensis (Rubiaceae) and their structures determined by spectroscopic methods and chemical correlations. Furthermore, five known related sesquiterpenes [(+)-(7R,10S)-2-hydroxycalamenene (1), (+)-(7R,10S)-3-hydroxycalamenene (2), (-)-alpha-cadinol (13), cadinenal (14), 6-epicadinenal (15)], and three known lignans [(-)-hinokinin, (-)-dihydrocubebin, (-)-cubebin] were also isolated from the same plant. This is the first report of compounds 3, 4, 5, 6, and 16 from a natural source.

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Treatment of the secoiridoids oleuropein (4), ligstroside (5) and methyloleoside (6) by beta-D-glucosidase in the presence of ammonium chloride led exclusively to monomeric pyridine alkaloids 7, 1, and 8. Dimeric 3,4,5-trisubstituted pyridines were obtained from methyloleoside (6) when ammonium chloride was generated in the reaction mixture by successive additions of ammonia and hydrochloric acid. The use of ammonium acetate permitted conversion of secoiridoids 4 and 5 into the naphthyridine alkaloid jasminine (3).

These results show that the immediate pressing of minced material gives a higher content of valerenic acids than the usual or the described enzymatic treatment. References

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