Quantitative TLC determination of epimeric ratios of 16-methyl 17-ketone oxidation products of dexamethasone and related drugs

Structures of new sesquiterpenes and hepatoprotective constituents from the Egyptian herbal medicine Cyperus longus

Six new sesquiterpenes, cyperusols A(1) (1), A(2) (2), B(1) (3), B(2) (4), C (5), and D (6), together with two monoterpenes and 13 sesquiterpenes were isolated from an Egyptian herbal medicine, the whole plants of Cyperus longus. The stereostructures of the new sesquiterpenes were determined on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. In addition, the principal constituents were found to exhibit inhibitory activity on D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes.

Biotransformation of beta-myrcene by the larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura)

beta-Myrcene was mixed in an artificial diet at a concentration of 1 mg/g of diet, and the diet was fed to the last instar larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura). Metabolites were recovered from frass and analyzed spectroscopically. beta-Myrcene was transformed mainly to myrcene-3(10)-glycol and myrcene-1,2-glycol. Each pair of double bonds of beta-myrcene was converted to the corresponding diol by oxidation, respectively. The 3,10- and 1,2-double bonds of beta-myrcene were respectively oxidized.