Phytochemistry investigations on Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, a Simaroubaceae plant that is recognized as a traditional herbal medicine, have afforded various natural products, among which C20 quassinoid is the most attractive for their significant and diverse pharmacological and biological activities. Our continuous study has led to the isolation of two novel quassinoid glycosides, named chuglycosides J and K, together with fourteen known lignans from the samara of A. altissima. The new structures were elucidated based on comprehensive spectra data analysis. All of the compounds were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activity, among which chuglycosides J and K exhibited inhibitory effects against the virus multiplication with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 56.21 ± 1.86 and 137.74 ± 3.57 μM, respectively.
Keywords: Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle; Simaroubaceae; lignanoid; quassinoid; tobacco mosaic virus.