Isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity of hederacine A and B, two unique alkaloids from Glechoma hederaceae

Preparative HPLC purification of a methanol extract of the aerial parts of Glechoma hederaceae has yielded two unique alkaloids, hederacine A (1) and hederacine B (2). The structures of these compounds were established unequivocally by UV, IR, MS and a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. These alkaloids were inactive against any of the 11 bacterial species at test concentrations, but showed prominent toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay (LC(50)s=3.2, 14.0 and 2.7 mug/mL, respectively, for 1, 2 and the positive control, podophyllotoxin). (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.