Hernandia lignans from

Chen IS, Chen JJ, Duh CY, Tsai IL. Cytotoxic lignans from formosan Hernandia nymphaeifolia. Phytochemistry 1997 45 991-996. 

Structure Elucidation and Synthesis of the Lignans from the Seeds of Hernandia ovigera L. 

Therefore, secondary metabolites such as isoquinoline alkaloids and lignans, from the remaining unstudied species in the genus Hernandia, seem worthy of more extensive chemical and biological investigation. 

Hernolactone (16) is a new bisbenzyl- y -butyrolactone-type lignan isolated from Hernandia ovigera. Although the syntheses of bisbenzyl- y -butyrolactones have been reported by many groups (ref. 2), its synthesis was carried out according to the known procedure (ref. 35) shown in Chart 6. 

In conclusion, two kinds of 1-hydroxyphenyltetralin-type lignans, epipodophyllotoxin (12) and podophyllotoxin (11), were obtained from desoxypodophy-llotoxin (3), which is available in large quantities from the seeds of Hernandia ovigera L.. 

Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and other diterpene esters from the plant family Euphorbiaceae are well-known as tumor-promotion agents [85]. Thus, inhibition of the biological effects induced by TPA has been considered as a promising strategy [68]. To date, two short-term cell-based in vitro bioassays using TPA as a tumor-promoter have been developed to evaluate the potential cancer chemopreventive activities of several lignans isolated from Hernandia species, namely, inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation [6] and the inhibition of the transformation of JB6 mouse epidermal cells [7]. 

Isol. from seed oil of Hernandia ovigera. Lignan of deoxypodophyllotoxin type. 

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