Cycloartanes from the gum resin of Gardenia gummifera L.f.

The gum resin exuding from the leaf buds of Gardenia gummifera was investigated. Eight new cycloartane triterpenes, 1-6, 8, and 10, together with two known triterpenes, 25-hydroxycycloart-23-en-3-one (7) and cycloartenone (9), were isolated and identified by extensive NMR spectroscopy. For cycloartenone (9), full NMR assignments are given as these data were not available in the literature. Eight compounds possess a C(3)=O group, two are 3,4-secocycloartanes bearing a free C(3)OOH group; in one of the cycloartanes, gummiferartane-9 (10), ring A occurs as a seven-membered lactone.