Coleus species

Some new diterpenoid oxides have been obtained from Eupatorium jhanii. They are jhanol (12) and its 18-acetate together with jhanidiol (13) and its 18-monoacetate and diacetate. Their structures were established by correlation with manoyl oxide and by an examination of their C n.m.r. spectra. 11/3-Hydro-xymanoyl oxide (14) has been isolated from Juniperus oxycedrus ° A group of new 11-oxomanoyl oxide derivatives (15a—e) has been obtained from Coleus forskohlii (Labiatae). Their oxygenation pattern is reminiscent of that of the tricyclic diterpenoids which have beemobtained from other Coleus species. 

Coleus diterpenoids. Coleus species have been a rich source of highly oxidized spiroabietanes, a number of which have been described recently. Coleons M (36 R = Ac), N (37), P (38), Q [12a-hydroxy-epimer of (38)], and coleon R, which possesses 3a-, 12a-, and 6/8-acetoxy-groups and a 7a-hydroxy-group, have been isolated39 from Plectranthus caninus whereas coleon O (36 R = H) was isolated from Coleus somaliensis. 

Hausen BM, Devriese EG, Geuns JMC (1988) Sensitizing potency of coleon O in Coleus species (Lamiaceae). Contact Dermatitis 19 217-218... 

Salvia divinorum contiene un diterpene, salvinorin. Si parla di composti simili ritrovati in qualche specie di Coleus ma non se ne ha ancora alcuna conferma (i rapporti di laboratorio sono per lo piu negativi)... 

An early report by Epi ing and Jativa (1962) showing that S. divinorum was most closely allied to S. concolor Lamb ex. Benth led us to screen this species for salvinorin A content. Ethnobotanical reports suggesting that Coleus blumei was similarly used as a psychotropic by the Mazatec (Wasson, 1962) caused us to screen one sample of this species as well for possible content of 1. HPLC analysis of the leaf extracts of these two species did not show any salvinorin A present, nor was 1 found in leaf extracts of S. blepharophylla, S. chiapensis, S. gregii var. San Isidro, S. leucantha, S. membranacea or S. re cun-a. 

The mint family (Labiatae or Lamiaceae) is a large group of dicotyledonous plants occurring worldwide in all types of climates except in extreme arctic and antarctic conditions. There are about 3,000 species in the mint family and 200 genera. The most diverse groups are the genus Salvia with 500 species, Hyptis with 350 species, and Scutellaria, Coleus, Plectranthus, and Stachys, each with 200 species. 

Epothilones A and B are promising anticancer agents that bind to microtubules in the cell in the same way that paclitaxel (Taxol) does and are more potent.410 Paclitaxel was obtained first from the bark of the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia).4n Widespread extraction of the compound from this source could have wiped out the species. Fortunately, it can now be extracted from the needles of more common yews or produced in tissue culture. (See Sec II.C on tissue culture.) Forskolin is a diterpene, from the roots of Coleus forskohlii, that lowers blood pressure.412 Him-bacine, from an Australian pine tree, offers a potential treatment for Alzheimer s disease.413 Combretastatin, from the bark of the African bush willow, Combretum caffrum, cuts the flow of blood to tumors, causing 95% of the cancer cells to die in 24 h, but does not harm healthy blood vessels.414... 

Leaves of Coleus barbatus (Andr.) Benth. (Labiateae), known as falso boldo , are used in the region as an effective hepatoprotective agent. A comparative study of the hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of C. barbatus, P. boldus ( Chilean boldo ) and boldine indicated the presence of antioxidant activity for all the samples, measured by means of an inhibition in lipid peroxidation (V. Tamasiro, personal communication). However, C. barbatus was prooxidant when tested in vivo, thus indicating that this species should not be used as it were P. boldus. 

The leaf pigments of Coleus (Labiatae) species continue to be the source of highly oxidized diterpenoids. A group of eleven coleons and royleanones including carnosolone (36) were obtained " from C carnosus and coleon X (37) and the unusual cw-butadiene coleon Z (38) were obtained from Solenostemon... 

Lateral redistribution of auxin in epinastic main and side shoots of Coleus and petioles of different species as postulated by Lyon (1963 a, b, 1965 a, b) would be the equivalent of a supplementary auxin source for the receiving half of the axis and it may cause an increase in the transport intensity in that half However, this is not a suitable explanation in the case of Fritillaria, since regions of increasing transport intensity do not coincide in upper and lower halves, in spite of the fact that overall intensity does increase basipe-tally initially. Thus an alternative explanation for the intensity alterations might be that an exchange may exist between the mobile and immobile auxin fractions, and that this may take place between the cytoplasm and the vacuoles. 

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