Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Kuguacin

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A kuguacin is one of several chemical compounds isolated from the bitter melon vine (Momordica charantia, kǔguā in Chinese) by J.-C. Chen and others.

Kuguacins are cucurbitacins, formally derived from the triterpene hydrocarbon cucurbitane. They include:

  • Kuguacin A
  • Kuguacin B
  • Kuguacin C
  • Kuguacin D
  • Kuguacin E
  • Kuguacin F: C
    30    H
    42    O
    5    ; 47 mg/kg, needles, melts at 275–276 °C
  • Kuguacin G: C
    30    H
    44    O
    6    ; 23 mg/kg, needles, melts at 250–252 °C
  • Kuguacin H: C
    30    H
    44    O
    5    ; 27 mg/kg, needles, melts at 226–228 °C
  • Kuguacin I: C
    31    H
    46    O
    4    ; 20 mg/kg, needles, melts at 235–237 °C
  • Kuguacin J: C
    30    H
    46    O
    3    ; 243 mg/kg, powder, melts at 166–169 °C
  • Kuguacin K: C
    25    H
    34    O
    6    ; 130 mg/kg, powder, melts at 275–277 °C
  • Kuguacin L: C
    25    H
    36    O
    4    ; 30 mg/kg, needles, melts at 320–321 °C
  • Kuguacin M: C
    22    H
    28    O
    4    ; 7 mg/kg, needles, melts at 332–333 °C
  • Kuguacin N: C
    30    H
    46    O
    4    ; 247 mg/kg, powder, melts at 140–143 °C
  • Kuguacin O: C
    30    H
    42    O
    4    ; 20 mg/kg, needles, melts at 267–269 °C
  • Kuguacin P: C
    27    H
    40    O
    4    ; 293 mg/kg, prisms, melts at 229–231 °C
  • Kuguacin Q: C
    29    H
    44    O
    5    ; 11 mg/kg, needles, melts at 219–221 °C
  • Kuguacin R: C
    30    H
    48    O
    4    ; 1357 mg/kg
  • Kuguacin S: C
    30    H
    44    O
    4    ; 17 mg/kg, powder, melts at 174–177 °C

    • Kuguacins F-S can be extracted with ethanol from the stems and leaves of M. charantia. Kuguacins I, J, and Q are artifacts of the extraction process. Kuguacin R is obtained as mixture of two epimers. In this process one also obtains momordicine I, kuguacin E, 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23-diene-3β,19,25-triol, karavilagenin D, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,(23E)-dien-19-al, and 3β,7β-dihydroxy-25-methoxycucurbita-5,(23E)-dien-19-al In vitro tests showed weak anti-HIV activity for kuguacins F-S, especially kuguacin Q and kuguacin S.

    References

    Kuguacin Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA