New phenanthrene derivatives from maxillaria densa(1)

Two new phenanthrene derivatives, 2,5-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (1) and 9,10-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (2), were isolated from an extract prepared from the whole plant of the orchid Maxillaria densa with spasmolytic activity. In addition, four known compounds, namely 2,7-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene, 9,10-dihydro-2,7-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (3), 2,5-dihydroxy-3,4, 9-trimethoxyphe-nanthrene, and 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4, 9-trimethoxyphenanthrene, were obtained. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. In the case of phenanthrene derivatives 1 and 3, the structures were unambiguously assigned by X-ray analysis.