Monoterpenoids from the whole herb of Veronicastrum axillare.

BACKGROUND

Veronicastrum axillare (Sieb. et Zucc.) Yamazaki (Scrophulariaceae) embraces varieties of bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-pyresis and detoxification activity, while little is known of the phytochemical components of this medicinal plant.

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and identify bioactive constituents from the whole herb of V. axillare.

METHODS

Ethanol extract of the whole herb of V. axillare was subjected to successive column chromatography. Chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses on the basis of NMR, IR and HR-MS data.

RESULTS

A new monoterpenoid, axillacetal A (1) and a known analogue, tarumal (2), were isolated from the whole herb of V. axillare. The structure of tarumal (2) was also revised according to our NMR data.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report on the isolation and authentication of novel chemical constituents from V. axillare.