EXTRACTIVES FROM KHAYA SPECIES

Abstract

The chemistry of ß-furan-containing extractives obtained from trees of the family Meliaceae (and one tree from the family Rutaceae) is briefly reviewed and their biogenesis is discussed. In continuation of our study of the extractives from the family Meliaceae in this department, five species of the genus Khaya have been examined. The seed, timber, bark, root, and root-bark of three species, K. senegalensis, K. ivorensis, and K. grandifoliola, and the seeds of the two others, K. anthotheca, and K. nyasica were examined. The extracts are mainly the tetranortriterpenes with a ß-substituted furan, and about thirty of these were isolated and structures were assigned to nearly all of them. The known ones include khivorin, 7-deacetoxy-7-oxo-khivorin, 7-cleacetoxy-7-oxogedunin, methyl angolensate, mexicanolide, and deacetylgedunin. Those characterised and reported for the first time include khayasin, 6-deoxy-3ß-tigloyloxyswietenolide, 6-deoxy-3ß-benzoyloxyswietenolide, khayanthone, 3-deacetylkhivorin, 3-deacetyl-7-deacetoxy-7-oxokhivorin, methyl 6-hydroxyangolensate, grandifoliolin, 3-destigloyl-6-deoxyswietenine, 3-destigloyl-6- deoxy-3ß-acetoxyswietenine, 3ß-dihydrocarapin, and 3-destigloyl-6- deoxy-3ß, 12ß-diacetoxyswietenine. Others prepared before, but isolated as natural products for the first time include deoxy- andirobin, and 6-deoxyswietenolide. In addition two substances, A and B from K. ivorensis root-bark have structures proposed for them which are still to be confirmed, while not much is known of the structures of a few others especially methyl senegalensate. Most of these extracts contain glycosides and steroids, ß-sitosterol in particular. Of these only the steroid hormone 20ß-acetoxy-3-oxopregn-4-ene, a new compound, was sufficiently studied to be assigned a structure which was confirmed. The structural elucidation of these compounds have depended almost entirely on their spectral properties including those of their Chemical transformation products. Obviously physical properties played a great part especially in confirming a known compound by comparison of data. The co-occurence of some of these compounds have strengthened the argument for the biogenesis proposed. The chemotaxonomic implication was also discussed. A number of interesting reactions including some rearrangements are discussed and mechanism for some of them have been suggested.