New clerodane diterpenoids from the twigs and leaves of Croton euryphyllus

Abstract

Three new nor-clerodane diterpenoids, crotoeurins A-C (1-3), together with four known ones were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Croton euryphyllus. Among them, crotoeurin A (1) is a new nor-clerodane diterpenoid dimer with a unique cyclobutane ring via a [2+2] cycloaddition. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and the stereochemistry of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1-3 exhibited neurite outgrowth-promoting activity on NGF-mediated PC12 cells at concentration of 10μM.

Keywords: Crotoeurins A–C; Croton euryphyllus; Neurite outgrowth-promoting activity; Nor-clerodane diterpenoid.