ALKALOIDS AND A LIGNAN FROM ARISTOLOCHIA-PONTICUM

A methanolic extract of the roots of Aristolochia ponticum has yielded two aristolochic acid derivatives, three aristolactams and a 2,3,4,5-substituted furan lignan. The known compounds aristolochic acid I, aristolochic acid II, aristolactam I and aristolactam III have been isolated but of the other three compounds one is novel, one has only recently been isolated from another Aristolochia species and the third is a lignan, nectandrin B, not previously isolated from the Aristolochiaceae. The novel compounds are 9-methoxyaristolochic acid II and 9-methoxyaristolactam I.