In the flora of Turkey, the genus Veronica L. (Scrophulariaceae) is represented by 79 species, 26 of which are endemic.1) Some Veronica species are used as folk medicines in Turkey and in several other countries. [2][3][4][5] The genus Veronica is known to contain mainly iridoid glucosides, especially benzoic and cinnamic acid esters of catalpol, some phenylethanoid and flavonoid glycosides. [6][7][8][9][10] In previous studies, iridoid glucosides, phenylethanoid glycosides and alkaloids have been reported from Veronica persica POIRET. [11][12][13] Our previous research on this plant has demonstrated that the water soluble portion of MeOH extract has a suppressive effect on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages due to its free radical scavenging activity, and the chloroform soluble portion of MeOH extract shows cytotoxicity against KB and B16 cells.14) Continuing our studies on bioactive constituents of Veronica species, we here examine V. persica and isolate a new phenylethanoid glycoside, termed persicoside (1) together with eleven known compounds: acteoside (2), 15) isoacteoside (3), 16) lavandulifolioside (4), 17) dulcitol (5), aucubin (6), 18) veronicoside (7), 19) amphicoside (8), 20) 6-O-veratroyl-catalpol (9), 21) catalposide (10), 20) verproside (11) 22) and verminoside (12). 23) This paper describes the isolation and the structure determination of the new phenylethanoid along with its free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Dulcitol was isolated as a crystal, and therefore its structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The structures of the other known compounds were identified by comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature.
Results and DiscussionCompound 1 A new phenylethanoid glycoside, persicoside (1) and three known phenylethanoid glycosides, acteoside (2), isoacteoside (3) and lavandulifolioside (4)