This paper is dedicated to Professor Dr. Xiao-Tian Liang on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Abstract Four eudesmane glucosides, alatosides A-D (1-4), and one megastigmane glucoside, alatoside E (5), were isolated from the BuOH fraction of Laggera alata along with six known compounds. Structures of the new compounds were elucidated by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods. Alatosides A–E were characterized as: 1a-O-(b-d-glucopyranosyloxyl)-7-epi-eudesma-11-en-2b,4a-diol (1), 2b-O-(b-d-glucopyranosyloxyl)-eudesma-4a-hydroxyl-11(13)-en-12-oic-acid (2), 5b-O-(b-d-glucopyranosyloxyl)-eudesma-4(15),11(13)-dien-12-oic-acid (3), 5a-O-(b-d-glucopyranosyloxyl)-eudesma-3,11(13)-dien-12-oic acid (4) and 3b-O-(b-d-glucopyranosyloxyl)-megastigma-9-one (5), respectively. Based on the chemical characteristics of eudesmane derivatives isolated from the Laggera genus, it was suggested that there are probably two different biogenetic pathways for these secondary metabolites in this genus.

Phytochemical reinvestigation on Ligularia nelumbifolia afforded four novel sinapyl alcohol analogues named nelumols B-E (1-4) and three known sinapyl alcohol derivatives (5-7). Their structures were elucidated by NMR techniques. Total syntheses of cytotoxic geranyloxy sinapyl alcohol (6) and geranyloxy sinapyl aldehyde (7) were carried out via two different paths. The 4-O-benzyl-substituted analogues (20 and 27) as well as the 4-O-(2-methylbutenyl) derivatives (34 and 35) were also synthesized. The cytotoxicities of 6 and 7 were measured using A-549, HL-60, and KB cancer cell lines.

Coupled reversed-phase HPLC-NMR spectroscopy has been applied to the rapid detection and identification of plant metabolites of Torreya jackii, a species of Taxaceae. Analysis consisted of gradient HPLC elution and directly coupled H NMR (500 MHz) spectroscopic detection in a stopped-flow mode. Seven lignans were detected and their structures were 1 elucidated, based on their HPLC-1 H NMR spectra and MS data. The structures were confirmed by isolation of the single components followed by conventional NMR measurements.