Benzylamides from Salvadora persica.

A phytochemical investigation of stems from Salvadora persica resulted in the first isolation of four benzylamides from a natural source. The isolated compounds were identified as butanediamide, N1,N4-bis(phenylmethyl)-2(S)-hydroxy-butanediamide (1), N-benzyl-2-phenylacetamide (2), N-benzylbenzamide (3) and benzylurea (4). The structure elucidation was accomplished using spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR and HREIMS. Compound 2 revealed a significant inhibitory effect on human collagen-induced platelet aggregation, and a moderate antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.