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The chemical constituents of fresh Gentian Root

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Abstract

We isolated and characterized 23 compounds, including a new iridoid named gentiolutelin and its dimethyl acetal, and a new lignan named gentioluteol from fresh roots (including small amounts of rhizome) of Gentiana lutea cultivated in Japan (Hokkaido). The structures of gentiolutelin and gentioluteol were determined as (1S,2R,3S,5R)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(2-oxoethyl)-cyclopentanecarboxylic acid methyl ester and (7R,8S,8′S)-4,4′,8,9-tetrahydroxy-3,3′,5-trimethoxy-7,9′-epoxylignan, respectively, on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. It was noteworthy that gentiopicroside, known to be a major secoiridoid glycoside in Gentian root, was not detected from the fresh roots of 3-year-old G. lutea.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Ms. Kimiko Shiohara for measurement of MS spectra and Dr. Masayuki Watanabe for measurement of CD spectra at JASCO corporation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8555, Japan

    Hidehiro Ando, Yasuaki Hirai, Mikio Fujii, Yumiko Hori, Motonori Fukumura, Kazuo Toriizuka & Yoshiteru Ida

  2. Tsukuba Research Institute, Ohta’s Isan Co. Ltd., 957 Shishiko, Ushiku, Ibaraki, 300-1231, Japan

    Yujiro Niiho & Yoshijiro Nakajima

  3. Hokkaido Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, 108-4 Ohashi, Nayoro, Hokkaido, 096-0065, Japan

    Toshiro Shibata

  4. Yokohama College of Pharmacy, 601 Matanocho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, 245-0066, Japan

    Yoshiteru Ida

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  1. Hidehiro Ando
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  2. Yasuaki Hirai
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  4. Yumiko Hori
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Correspondence to Yasuaki Hirai.

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Ando, H., Hirai, Y., Fujii, M. et al. The chemical constituents of fresh Gentian Root. J Nat Med 61, 269–279 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-007-0143-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-007-0143-x

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