Cytotoxic aromatic triterpenes from Maytenus ilicifolia and Maytenus chuchuhuasca

The isolation and structure elucidation of four cytotoxic aromatic triterpenes [1-4] along with three known quinoid triterpenes [5-7] from the South American medicinal plants Maytenus ilicifolia and M. chuchuhuasca are described. The structures of these aromatic triterpenes contained aromatized A rings and C-6 oxygenated B rings, and were elucidated by 1H- and 13C-nmr spectroscopic studies and by X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3.