Jatrophane diterpenoids from Euphorbia mongolica as modulators of the multidrug resistance of L5128 mouse lymphoma cells.

The dried aerial parts of Euphorbia mongolica afforded three new acylated polyhydroxy diterpenoids based on the jatrophane framework. The structures were established by means of a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques and mass spectrometry as (2S,3S,4R,5R,7S,8R,13S,15R)-5alpha,7beta,8alpha-triacetoxy-3beta-benzoyloxy-15beta-hydroxyjatropha-6(17),11E-diene-9,14-dione (1), (2S,3S,4R,5R,7S,8S,9S13S,15R)-5alpha,7beta,8alpha,9alpha,15beta-pentaacetoxy-3beta-benzoyloxyjatropha-6(17),11E-dien-14-one (2), and (2S,3S,4R,5R,7S,8S,9S13S,15R)-3beta,7beta,8alpha,9alpha,15beta-pentaacetoxy-5alpha-benzoyloxyjatropha-6(17),11E-dien-14-one (3). When the isolates were assayed for multidrug resistance-reversing activity in a rhodamine 123 exclusion test using L5178 mouse lymphoma cells, all compounds demonstrated a concentration-dependent effect in inhibiting the efflux pump activity of these tumor cells in the range 11.2-112 microM.