BIOSYNTHESIS OF PODOPHYLLUM LIGNANS .5. MATAIRESINOL AS PRECURSOR OF PODOPHYLLUM LIGNANS

The dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan (-)-[C-14]matairesinol was efficiently incorporated into the aryltetralin lactone lignans podophyllotoxin, 4'-demethylpodophyllotoxin, beta-peltatin, alpha-peltatin and 4'-demethyldesoxypodophyllotoxin in one or more of the plant systems Podophyllum hexandrum root, P. peltatum leaf or Diphylleia cymosa leaf. This demonstrates matairesinol to be a common precursor of the 3',4',5'-trimethoxy and 4'-hydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxy groups of Podophyllum lignans, and it may represent the branch-point compound to the two series of compounds. No incorporation of matairesinol into the arylnaphthalene lactone lignan diphyllin in D. cymosa was detected.