Complete Assignments of 1H and 13C-NMR Spectra of the 3,4-seco-Triterpene Canaric Acid isolated from Rudgea jasminoides Marcia N. Lopesa, Fabiano C. Mazzaa, Maria Claudia M. Youngb, and Vanderlan da S. Bolzania* aInstituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, C.P. 355, 14800-900 Araraquara - SP, Brazil bSeção de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Plantas, Instituto de Botânica, C.P. 4005, 01061-970 São Paulo - SP, Brazil O ácido canárico 1 foi isolado das folhas de Rudgea jasminoides. A substância isolada é um derivado triterpênico do tipo seco-lupano e teve sua estrutura elucidada com base nos dados espectrais, principalmente em experimentos de RMN a 1D e 2D. O sitosterol, o estigmasterol e os ácidos ursólico e oleanólico também foram isolados. The canaric acid 1 was isolated from the leaves of Rudgea jasminoides. Compound 1 is a seco-lupane derivative and its structure was established on the basis of spectral data, mainly by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Sitosterol, stigmasterol and ursolic and oleanolic acids were also isolated. Keywords: Rudgea jasminoides, Rubiaceae, seco-A-ring lupane triterpene Introduction The genus Rudgea is widely distributed along the Bra- zilian East Coast, where some species are used as a remedy to treat rheumatism, syphilis and swelling of the members relief1. Rudgea jasminoides is a small tree, especially im- pressive due to the pleasant jasmine smell of its wonderful white flowers, during the blooming. Several triterpenes and saponins have been isolated from other species, R. viburnioides2. However, seco-lupane triterpene derivatives have never been isolated from the Rubiaceae family. As a part of our study on the constituents of plants from Rubiaceae2-5, we report the isolation of the canaric acid 1 from the leaves of a specimen of R. jasminoides. The canaric acid is a rare seco-ring-A-triterpene derivative, previously isolated from Dacryoides edulis, Canarium zey- lanicum and C. muelleri from the Burseraceae family6,7,8. However, no detailed studies of 13C-NMR, and high-reso- lution 1H-NMR spectra of the compound 1 have been carried out. Herein we report application of these NMR spectral data in the structural elucidation of this triterpene. In addition, sitosterol, stigmasterol and two known triter- penes ursolic and oleanolic acid were isolated. Experimental IR spectra were obtained on a Perkin-Elmer Model 1600 spectrometer; 1H-NMR (200, 300 and 500 MHz) and 13C-NMR (75 and 125 MHz) spectra were registered on a Bruker AC 200, DPX 300 and ARX 500, at 25°, in CDCl3; HRFABMS: Central Analítica, Instituto de Química, Uni- versidade de São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Plant material Leaves of Rudgea jasminoides were collected from preserved areas of Atlantic forest in the biological reserve of the “Ilha do Cardoso”, Cananéia, SP, Brazil. A voucher specimen SP 161 348 was deposited in the Herbarium Maria Eneida de Fidalgo, Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Extraction and isolation of the constituents Dried and powdered leaves (1.0 kg) of R. jasminoides were successively extracted with acetone and EtOH at room temp. to yield the acetonic (11.0 g) and EtOH (3.0 g) extracts respectively. Half of the acetone extract (5,5 g) was submitted to flash column chromatography eluting with a mixture of hexane and EtOAc. Twenty fractions (25 mL) were collected and analyzed by TLC on silica gel in hex- Note Dedicated to the memory of professor W. Saffioti. J. Braz. Chem. Soc., Vol. 10, No. 3, 237-240, 1999. © 1999 Soc. Bras. Química Printed in Brazil. 0103 – 5053 $6.00 + 0.00 ane-EtOAc (7:3) and CHCl3-MeOH (9:1 and 9.5:0.5). Fractions 2-3 were submitted to prep. TLC (hexane- EtOAc, 7:3) yielding sitosterol (21 mg) and stigmasterol (5 mg). Fractions 12-16 (200 mg) containing the crude triter- pene 1 as a mixture with oleanane and ursane acid were further purified by a sequence prep. TLC with hexane- 238 Lopes et al. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. Table 1. 13C and 1H-NMR spectral data for compound 1 and observed 1H-13C-HMQC-1JCH and 1H-13C-HMBC-nJCH (n = 2 and 3). atom δC a,b δH c Selected HMBC to 1 33.90 (t) Ha 1.42 m Hb 1.59 m 2 28.36 (t) Ha 1.99 ddt (2.45, 8.0, 14.0); Hb 2.45 (m) C-3, C-10 3 179.91 (s) - 4 147.58 (s) - 5 40.74 (d) 2. 65 dd (10.5, 4.8) C-10, C-7, C-23, C-24 6 24.19 (t) Hα 2.10 dddd (19.0, 4.8, 6.4, 2.0) Hβ 2.26 ddd (19.0, 10.5, 5.0) C-4, C-8 7 33.94 (t) Hα 1. 98 ddd (10.5, 2.0, 16.5) Hβ 2.06 ddd (16.5, 6.4, 5.0) 8 39.90 (s) - 9 50.39 (d) 1.77 dd (10.0, 8.4) C-5, C-11, C-12, C-25, C-26 10 39.24 (s) - 11 21.70 (t) Hα 1.13 m Hβ 1.26 m 12 27.45 (t) Hα 1.56 m Hβ 1.36 m 13 38.10 (d) 2.01 m C-14, C-17, C-18, C-27 14 43.19 (s) - 15 27.45 (t) Hα, Hβ 1.25 m 16 35.51 (t) Hα, Hβ 1.48 m 17 43.19 (s) - 18 48.22 (d) 2.05 br, d (8.8) C-13, C-14, C-20, C-22, C-28 19 47.93 (d) 1.90 m C-13, C-17, C-18, C-22, C-29, C-30 20 150.78 (s) - 21 29.70 (t) Hα 1.49 m Hβ 1.68 m 22 40.55 (t) Hα 1.25 m Hβ 1.76 dd (11.5, 9.5) 23 20.09 (q) 1.61 s C-4, C-5, C-24 24 113.38 (t) Ha 4.77 br, s; 4.57 br, s C-4, C-5, C-23 25 23.22 (q) 1.08 s C-1, C-5, C-10, C-9 26 16.00 (q) 0.72 s C-7, C-8, C-9, C-14 27 14.54 (q) 0.78 s C-8, C-13, C-14 28 18.01 (q) 0.95 s C-16, C-17, C-18 29 109.50 (t) Ha 4.50 br s; 4.61 br s C-19, C-20, C-29, C-30 30 19.21(q) 1.65 s C-19, C-20, C-29 a125 MHz, CDCl3; Multiciplity in 13C obtained by DEPT 135o and 90° experiments. bChemical shifts assigned from HMQC and HMBC. c500 MHz, CDCl3; Coupling constants (Hz) in parentheses. EtOAc (7:3) and CHCl3-MeOH (9:1) to give compound 1 (43 mg) and oleanolic and ursolic acids (102 mg) in a mixture (2:1). The EtOH extract was diluted with H2O and extracted with CHCl3 at room temp. The CHCl3 soluble portion was chromatographed on a silica gel column with a mixture of CHCl3-MeOH. From the CHCl3-MeOH (98:2) eluate was obtained a mixture of triterpenes and steroids. This mixture furnished the compounds sitosterol in a mix- ture with stigmasterol (12 mg) and ursolic acid (9 mg) by repeated column chromatography and prep. TLC. Canaric acid (1) Colorless crystalline powder, mp. 215-217o [lit.(8) mp. 215-217o, [α]D 25 +43o (0.5, CHCl3) [lit.(8) [α]D 25 +57]; IR νmax cm-1: 1690, 1646, 895, 880; FABMS m/z: 463 [M+Na]+; 1H-NMR (CDCl3): Table 1. 13C-NMR (CDCl3): Table 1. Methylation of canaric acid (1) Compound 1 was methylated with CH2N2, affording a methyl canarate (1a). Gum, [α]D 25 +038 (0.6, CHCl3); IR νmax cm-1: 1715, 1640, 1100, 880; FABMS m/z: 477 [M+Na]+; 1H-NMR (CDCl3) δ: 4.76 (1H, s, Ha-24), 4. 60 (1H, s, Ha-29), 4.55 (1H, s, Hb-24), 4.50 (1H, s, Hb-29), 3.53 (3H, s, OCH3), 2.53 (1H, br s, H-18), 0,75 (3H, s, H-26), 0.78 (3H, s, H-27), 0.98 (3H, s, H-28), 1.10 (3H, s, H-25), 1. 65 (3H, s, H-H-30), 1.63 (3H, s, H-23); 13C-NMR (CDCl3) δ: 178.0 s (C-3), 150. 9 s (C-20), 148.1 s (C-4), 113.5 t (C-24), 109.0 t (C-29), 51.3 q (OCH3), 50.7 d (C-9), 48.6 d (C-18), 48.0 d (C-19), 42.9 s (C-17), 42.5 s (C-14), 40.9 d (C-5), 40.5 t (C-22), 40.0 s (H-8), 39.0 s (H-10), 38.5 d (H-13), 36.0 t (H-16), 33.9 t (C-7), 32.9 t (C-1), 29.9 t (C-21), 27.5 t (C-12), 27.0 t (C-15), 24.4 t (C-6), 23.6 q (C-25), 21.7 t (C-11), 20.0 q (C-23), 19.0 q (C-30), 18.3 q (C-28), 16.1 q (C-26), 14.3 q (C-27). Results and Discussion The acetone extract of the leaves of R. jasminoides was chromatographed on a silica gel flash column and the fractions containing the mixture of triterpenes were further purified by prep. TLC to obtain the triterpene 1. All com- pounds isolated are known and were identified by spectro- scopic means and comparison with authentic samples. Compound 1 gave a positive test with Liebermann Buchard and ceric sulfate. The FABMS of 1 revealed the peak [M+Na]+ at m/z 463 consistent with the same molecu- lar formula C30H48O2 (m/z 440 [M]+.) of canaric acid6,7,8. The assignments of the NMR data of 1 and 1a were con- firmed using a combination of DEPT, COSY, HMBC and NOESY experiments and comparison with data of known lupene and lupane derivatives9-11. The 13C chemical shifts of 1 (Table 1) and 1a (see Experimental), especially those corresponding to C-20 and C-29 at δ 150.78 and 109.50 (1) and 150.9 and 109.0 (1a), clearly corroborate the lupane structure of the compound 1. The combined 1H and 13C- NMR data, together with DEPT and HMQC experiments (Table 1) suggested the presence of six tertiary methyl groups, two of them located at sp2 carbons; twelve methyle- nes, five methines and seven quaternary carbons in the molecule of 1. The 1H-NMR spectrum (Table 1) showed that 1 has six singlet methyls (δ 0.72, .0.78, 0.95, 1.08, 1.61 and 1.65; two attributable to methyl groups at sp2 carbons δ 1.61 and 1.65) and four hydrogens typical of terminal double bonds at δ 4.50, 4.57, 4.61 and 4.77. The 13C-NMR spectra suggested the presence of a carboxylic acid (δ 179.91) and two terminal double bonds (δ 150.78, 109.50 and 147.58, 113.38 respectivelly). 1H and 13C-NMR spec- Vol. 10, No. 3, 1999 Spectra of the 3,4-seco-Triterpene Canaric Acid 239 Table 2. NOE data for compound 1. Irradiated H Observed H (%) Hb-2 Ha-1 (12.5), Hb-2 (2.0) H-5 Ha-1 (38.0), 3H-23(11), Hα-6 (15.0), H-9 (15.2), Hα-7 (17.8) Hα-6 H-5 (6.0), Hα-7 (10.8) Hβ-6 Ha-24 (5.6), 3H-25(20), 3H-26 (11.2) H-9 H-5 (1.5), Ha-1 (3), Hα-7 (25), H-13 3H-26 (15), Hβ-11 (12.6), Hβ-15 (25), 3H-28 (16) H-18 3H-27 (30), Hα-12 (2.8), Hα-16 (1.5) 3H-23 Ha-1 (6.0), H-5 (12.5), Hb-24 (15) Ha-24 3H-25 (22), Hβ-6 (3.0) 3H-25 3H-26 (5.5), H-24 (10.1), Hβ-11, Ha-1 (7.8) 3H-26 3H-25 (5), H-13 (8.8), Hβ-11 (31) Ha-29 3H-30 (21), H-18 (1.9) tra of the triterpene 1 resembled very closely those of lupeol9 and lupene10. Prominent differences in the 1H and 13C values between lupeol and 1 were only observed in the A-ring region; the value of δ 78.8 attributed to C-3 in lupeol9,11 was inexistent in the molecule of 1. However, the signal at δ 179.91 could be attributable to C-3, if we consider that the modification in the A-ring of the com- pound in discussion is related to the breaking of the C-3/C-4 bond (seco-lupane-A ring). These results allowed us to deduce that compound 1 possesses the same structure as canaric acid, previously described in the literature6,7. Interpretation of 1H-1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, NOE and NOESY data for 1 led to the unambiguous elucidation of the structure. The relative stereochemistry of 1 was assigned on the basis of coupling constants (Table 1) and NOESY data (Fig. 1). The α-axial orientation of H-5 was confirmed by a strong NOE between H-5 and the hydrogens assigned as H-1, H-6α, H-9α, H-7α and 3H-23, and the lack of an NOE between it and the olefinic hydrogens assigned as H-24. Also consistent with the axial orientation of H-5 was a strong correlation observed with the axial methyl hydrogens 3H-25 and olefinic hydrogens H-24. Strong NOE correlations between 3H-25 and H-11β, be- tween 3H-26 and H-7β and H-13β, between 3H-27 and H-12α, H-16α and H-18α, between 3H-28 and H-19β were consistent with trans B/C/D ring junctions with seco- ring A in a diequatorial conformation and ring D in a half boat conformation. Other correlations observed in the NOESY and NOE difference spectra are depicted in Table 2 and with the aid of COSY spectra and coupling constant values the relative stereochemistry of the seco-lupane trit- erpene 1 was established and shown to be identical to dihydrocanaric acid isolated from Hoya naumanii12. References 1. Pio Correa, M. Dicionário de Plantas Úteis do Brasil e das Plantas Exóticas Cultivadas 1st Ed., Ministério da Agricultura, Brasil, 1931, p. 363. 2. Young, M.C.M.; Lopes, M.N.; Araújo, A.R.; Adauto, C.; Bolzani, V. da S. J. Nat. Prod. 1998, 61, 936. 3. Brochini, C.; Martins, D.; Roque, N.F.; Bolzani, V. da S. Phytochemistry 1994, 36, 1293. 4. Bolzani, V. da S.; Trevisan, L.M.V.; Izumisawa, C.M.; Young, M.C.M. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. 1996, 7, 157. 5. Bolzani, V. da S.; Trevisan, L.M.V.; Izumisawa, C.M.; Young, M.C.M.; Kingston, D.G.I.; Gunatilaka, A.A.L. Phytochemistry 1997, 46, 308. 6. Ekong, D.E.U.; Okogun, J.I. Phytochemistry 1969, 8, 669. 7. Bandaranayake, W.M. Phytochemistry 1980, 19, 255. 8. Carman, R.M.; Cowley, D. Aust. J. Chem. 1965, 18, 213. 9. Reynolds, W.F.; McLean, S.; Poplawski, J.; Enriquez, R.G.; Escobar, L.I.; Leon, I. Tetrahedron 1986, 42, 3419. 10. Wenkert, E.; Baddeley, G.V.; Burfit, I.R.; Moreno, L.N. Org. Magn. Reson. 1978, 11, 337. 11. Siddiqui, S.; Hafeez, F.; Begum, S.; Siddiqui, B.S. J. Nat. Prod. 1988, 51, 229. 12. Baas, W.J.; van Berkel, E.M. Phytochemistry 1991, 30, 1625. Received: March 5, 1998 FAPESP helped in meeting the publication costs of this article 240 Lopes et al. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. H H H H H H H CH3 CH3 HaHb H3C HO O R 1 H 1a CH3 23 1 4 5 10 25 Ha Hb O RO H H H 8 27 13 17 28 19 20 30 29 11 26 3 24 Ha Hb Figure 1. Selected NOESY correlations for 1.