Zizimauritic acids A–C, three novel nortriterpenes from Ziziphus mauritiana

Zizimauritic acids A–C (1–3), three novel nortriterpenes with a unique A-nor-E-seco spiro-lactone ceanothane-type triterpene skeleton, together with 3 known triterpenes ceanothenic acid (4), betulinic acid (5), and ceanothic acid (6), were isolated from the roots of Ziziphus mauritiana. Compounds 1–4 showed cytotoxicities with the IC50 values ranging from 5.05 to 11.94 μg/ml, and compounds 1 and 3 showed an inhibitory effect on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus with the IC50 values 2.17 and 12.79 μg/ml. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of compounds 1-3 was proposed.

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