Chem. Pharm. Bull., 48(9),1327-1331, September 2000

Regular Articles

Bioactive Constituents of Chinese Natural Medicines. V.1) Radical Scavenging Effect of Moutan Cortex. (1): Absolute Stereostructures of Two Monoterpenes, Paeonisuffrone and Paeonisuffral


Masayuki YOSHIKAWA,* Toshio OHTA, Atsuhiro KAWAGUCHI, and Hisashi MATSUDA

Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8412, Japan.

The methanolic extract and the ethyl acetate-soluble and methanol-eluted fractions from Chinese Moutan Cortex, the roots of Paeonia suffruticosa ANDREWS, were found to exhibit scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and superoxide anion radical generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. Two monoterpenes called paeonisuffrone and paeonisuffral were isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction. Their absolute stereostructures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physiochemical evidence, which included the application of a modified Mosher's method and lipase catalyzed debenzoylation reaction.

Key words Paeonia suffruticosa; Moutan Cortex; paeonisuffrone; peaonisuffral; monoterpene; radical scavenging effect