Isolation and biological activities of neomyrrhaol and other terpenes from the resin of Commiphora myrrha.

A new cycloartane-type triterpene named cycloartane-1alpha,2alpha,3beta,25-tetraol (neomyrrhaol) (1), along with four known terpenes, sandaracopimaric acid (2), abietic acid (3), 2-methoxy-5-acetoxyfruranogermacr-1(10)-en-6-one (4), and dehydroabietic acid (5) have been isolated from the resin of COMMIPHORA MYRRHA. Their structures were elucidated by means of 1D, 2 D NMR and HR-mass spectroscopy. Compounds 2-5 are known compounds but not previously isolated from the resin of C. MYRRHA. Compounds 4 and 5 exhibited significant aromatase inhibiting activity with IC50 values at 0.2 microM and 0.3 microM, respectively. As shown in the MTT assay, 2, 3, 4, and 5 had inhibitory effects on HUVEC growth with IC50 values of 0.122 microM (2), 0.125 microM (3), 0.069 microM (5). Compounds 1-5 did not inhibit contraction of the isolated uterine and did not protect HUVEC from damage induced by H2O2 at the tested concentration.