文摘
Two structurally novel homocucurbitane triterpenoid glycosides, machilusides A (1) and B (2), possessing an unprecedented C36 skeleton with a d-fructose moiety incorporated into a cucurbitane nucleus forming unique cage-like tricyclic ring moieties, were isolated from the stem bark of Machilus yaoshansis. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Both compounds exhibited nonselective cytotoxic activities against several human cancer cell lines. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 and 2 was postulated.