Diversity in Eremophilane Components of Ligularia dictyoneura in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces of China

Abstract

The chemical composition of 3 samples of Ligularia dictyoneura was studied. Nine furanoeremophilanes 1 to 9 and bakkenolide A (10) were isolated, among which compound 6 was a new furanoeremophilane-15,6-olide. These results, together with our previous results on 20 L. dictyoneura samples, show that furanoeremophilane is the major compound in the peripheries of the plant’s distribution area, while eremophilan-8-one, in the center. DNA analysis suggests that a furanoeremophilane producer in the center, an exception, is introgressed; namely, the ability to produce furanoeremophilane in the sample may have its origin in some other plant.