New Ecdysteroids from Serratula tinctoria.

Six new ecdysteroids have been isolated from SERRATULA TINCTORIA; these are: the 2,22- and 3,22-diacetates of 20-hydroxyecdysone, 5beta-hydroxyrubrosterone, 3-epi-poststerone, 3-epi-rubrosterone, and 22-oxo-20-hydroxyecdysone. These minor compounds were found together with the known ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, its 2-, 3-, and 22-monoacetates, rubrosterone, poststerone, polypodine B (5beta,20-dihydroxyecdysone), pterosterone (25-deoxy-20,24-dihydroxyecdysone), and makisterone C (24-ethyl-20-hydroxyecdysone). All these ecdysteroids were isolated by a combination of several chromatographic techniques (liquid chromatography on alumina, DCCC, and HPLC), then identified using standard mass spectrometric and 2D (1)H-NMR techniques.