Tannins and related compounds. CXXII. New dimeric, trimeric and tetrameric ellagitannins, lambertianins A-D, from Rubus lambertianus Seringe.

Chemical examination of the leaves of Rubus lambertianus Seringe (Rosaceae) has led to the isolation of four new ellagitannins, which were characterized on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence to be dimers [lambertianins A (6) and B (7)], a trimer [lambertianin C (8)] and a tetramer [lambertianin D (10)], all having sanguisorbic acid ester group(s) as linking unit(s) between glucopyranose moieties. Furthermore, HPLC analyses of fifteen Rubus species collected in Japan and Taiwan revealed that the trimer (8) and the tetramer (10), together with sanguiin H-6 (1), occur widely in these species.