Phytochemical investigation of the inflorescences of Dictyoloma vandellianum A. Juss. (Rutaceae) has led to the isolation of a new A-seco-limonoid, named dictyolomol (1), along with a known quinolone alkaloid, casimiroine (2), previously isolated from the same species. The structures were established by spectroscopic analysis such as one- and two-dimensional NMR, IR, high-resolution mass spectrometry and chemical transformations. The isolated compounds (1 and 2) and O-acetyl derivative (1a) were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results indicated that 1, 1a and 2 showed no significant cytotoxicity.

In 1959, Gottlieb and Antonaccio published a study reporting the occurrence of lignan sesamin and triterpene lupeol in Zanthoxylum tingoassuiba. In this work we describe the phytochemical study of the root bark of the Z. tingoassuiba which allowed the identification of the lupeol, sesamin, and alkaloids dihydrochelerythrine, chelerythrine, anorttianamide, cis-N-methyl-canadine, predicentine, 2, 3-methylenedioxy-10,11-dimethoxy-tetrahydro protoberberine. The investigation of hexane and methanol extracts of the root bark of Z. rhoifolium and Z. stelligerum also investigated showed the presence of alkaloids dihydrochelerythrine, anorttianamide, cis-N-methyl-canadine, 7,9-dimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxybenzophenanthridine and angoline. The occurrence of 2,3-methylenedioxy-10,11-dimethoxy-tetrahydro protoberberine is first described in Z. tingoassuiba and Z. stelligerum. This is also the first report of the presence of hesperidin and neohesperidin in roots of Z. stelligerum.

Phytochemical investigation of this species, popularly known as tinguaciba and used in traditional medicine to various diseases, resulted in the isolation of 15 substances: 2 alkaloids - norchelerythrine and arnottianamide; 1 lignan - sesamin; 4 terpenoids - citronellyl acetate, lupeol, α-bisabolol and spatulenol; 5 coumarins described for the first time - xanthotoxin, isopimpinelin, O-prenylumbelliferone, imperatorin and aurapten, 1 protoalkaloid - methyl N-methylanthranilate and 2 steroids - stigmasterol and β-sitosterol. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and compared with literature data.

The hexanic and methanolic extracts of roots and stem of Zanthoxylum stelligerum (Rutaceae), after chromatographic and phytochemical procedures, yelded the triterpene lupeol, the furanocumarin imperatorin and the benzophenathridine alkaloids dihidrocheleritrine and its probable product of oxidation. The structural determinations of these compounds were performed on basis of spectroscopic analysis as well as comparison with authentic samples.

O arbusto Spiranthera odoratissima (Rutaceae) foi coletado no município de Mucugê (BA). Seu caule subterrâneo foi submetido a extração com solvente orgânico e fluido supercrítico. A extração com CO2 supercrítico forneceu a 8-prenil-7-geraniloxicumarina. A partir do extrato CH2Cl2 isolou-se a cumarina aurapteno e identificou-se o alcalóide esquimianina. Estas substâncias foram identificadas com base na análise dos seus espectros de RMN 1H e 13C, IV e comparação com dados da literatura.

The shrub S. odoratissima was collected at Mucugê (Chapada Diamantina - Bahia, Brazil). Its rhizome was extracted by maceration with CH2Cl2 and supercritical CO2. The supercritical extraction supplied a coumarin, 8-prenyl-7geranyloxycoumarin. Another coumarin, the auraptene, and an alkaloid, skimmianine, were obtained from the CH2Cl2 extract. The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic studies, and by comparison with literature data.