Cytotoxic withanolides from Acnistus arborescens

Three cytotoxic withanolides, two with new structures, were isolated from the leaves of Acnistus arborescens and their structures determined by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR. mass spectral, and molecular modeling studies. Dereplication analysis of the ethyl ether extract was useful for evaluating the components showing significant cytotoxic activity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.59663564