Gymnocolea inflata

C22H28O6, Mr 388.46, square prisms, mp. 196-197 °C. G., a very bitter-tasting diterpene of the 4a,5/S- cler-odane type from the liverwort Gymnocolea inflata, shows a number of biological activities Thus anti-feedant effects on larvae of Japanese Pieris species, inhibition of root growth (10 -10 Mol) in the cress (Lepidium sativum), and promotion of germination (10 -10" Mol) of wheat seeds have been reported. Ut. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 39,215 (1975). Zinsmeister Mues (eds.), Bryophytes, their Chemistry and Chemotaxonomy (Proc. Phytochem. Soc. Eur. 29), p. 399,404, Oxford Clarendon Press 1990. 

Gymnocolea inflata (Jungermanniales) contains very bitter principles. One of the bitter substances, gymnocolin (556), possesses structure (556) on the basis of an X-ray crystallographic analysis 26, 28, 157). 

Triterpenoids are quite rare in the Hepaticae. Ursolic acid (557), friedelinol (559) and epifriedelinol (660) have been found in Gymnocolea inflata 166). Friedelin (558) was isolated from Porella (164), Frullania (175,... 

Huneck, S., Y. Asakawa, Z. Taira, A.F. Cameron, J.D. Connolly, and D.S. Rycroft Gymnocolin, a new c/5-clerodane diterpenoid from the liverwort, Gymnocolea inflata. Crystal structure analysis. Tetrahedron Lett. 24, 115 (1983). 

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