Constituents of the Cultivated Mulberry Tree

Abstract

In addition to mulberrofuran C, a new 2-arylbenzofuran derivative, six flavonoid derivatives, cyclomorusin, morusin, kuwanon C, E, G and H, as well as a known 2-arylbenzofuran derivative, chalcomoracin, were isolated from extracts of root bark of the cultivated mulberry tree (a variety of Morus bombycis KOIDZUMI). The structure of mulberrofuran C was shown to be VIII on the basis of spectral data. It is regarded biogenetically as a Diels-Alder adduct of a chalcone derivative and a dehydroprenyl 2-arylbenzofuran derivative. Intravenous injection of mulberrofuran C produced significant hypotension in rabbit.

Morus bombycis - Moraceae, Mulberrofuran C, 2-Arylbenzofuran, Diels-Alder adduct, Hypotensive constituent

1 Part VII: NOMURA, T. and T. FUKAI: Planta medica 42, 79 (1981).

2 A part of this work was reported in a preliminary communication: NOMURA, T., T. FUKAI, J. MATSUMOTO, K. FUKUSHIMA and Y. MOMOSE: Heterocycles 16, 759 (1981).