Phytochemical and biological investigation of Begonia heracleifolia.

From the rhizomes of Begonia heracleifolia six known cucurbitacins ( 1- 6) were isolated. Based on spectral data (1D and 2D (1)H-, (13)C-NMR, ESI- and CI-MS) the structures were established as cucurbitacin B ( 1), cucurbitacin D ( 2), 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D ( 3), 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin F ( 4), 2- O-beta-glucopyranosyl-cucurbitacin B ( 5), and 2- O-beta-glucopyranosyl-cucurbitacin D ( 6). Four of them ( 3- 6) were so far not reported as constituents of Begonia spp. Varyingly strong antiproliferative activity towards tumor and immune cells was observed for three compounds ( 1 - 3), due to different structural features.