Isolation and structural determination of decompostin, a natural product from Senecio subulatus

Abstract

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids and furanoeremophilanes are the predominant secondary metabolites in the genus Senecio L., many of which are known for their significant toxicity to livestock in agricultural regions, primarily due to the presence of those metabolites [1]. Some furanoeremophilanes have been reported to exhibit phytotoxic activity which deters herbivory by various insect species [2] and are used in traditional medicine for their anti-inflammatory and antiemetic properties [3]. In this study we have successfully isolated and fully charactirized the compound 6β-acetoxy-9-oxo-10aH-furanoeremophilane (decompostin, Scheme 1) from aerial parts of Senecio subulatus from San Juan, Argentina.