Analysis of species of the Ranunculaceae for ecdysteroid agonists and antagonists—I. Ecdysteroids in the genus Pulsatilla

Phytoecdysteroid profiles in seeds of Sida spp. (Malvaceae)

Procedures are presented for the assessment of the phytoecdysteroid profiles in small plant samples (ca. 25 mg), using seeds of Sida spp. as an example. The procedures are suitable for the analysis of minute or valuable samples and provide copious information for chemotaxonomic purposes. Methanolic extracts of the plant material, after partitioning against hexane, were separated by reversed-phase gradient HPLC monitored by PAD, RIA and bioassay. Aliquots of the fractions were also treated with Helix pomatia hydrolases, followed by RIA and bioassay, in order to assess the presence of hydrolysable ecdysteroid conjugates. Further information could also be obtained by separation of samples using normal-phase gradient HPLC. Among 11 species of Sida examined, seed extracts of S. acuta (= S. carpinifolia) and S. rhombifolia were found to contain significant amounts of ecdysteroids, seed extracts of S. filicaulis contained only moderate levels, whilst the remaining species showed no detectable levels of ecdysteroids. The ecdysteroid profiles of the extracts of the three positive species were significantly different, demonstrating that phytoecdysteroids have chemotaxonomic value in this genus.

1 alpha,20R-dihydroxyecdysone from Axyris amaranthoides

Bioassay/RIA-directed phytochemical examination of the seeds of Axyris amaranthoides afforded a new ecdysteroid: 1 alpha,20R-dihydroxyecdysone [1-epi-integristerone A], together with 20-hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B. The structure of 1 alpha,20R-dihydroxyecdysone was determined unequivocally by UV, LSIMS, and a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques.