Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of the branches and leaves of Polyalthia nemoralis.
Method: The compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel, macroporous adsorption resin and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographic methods. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral data.
Result: Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as syringic acid (1), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (2), vanillic acid (3), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), mauritianin (5), (+)-xylopinidine (6), (+)-oblongine(7), (+)-tembetarine (8), eythritol (9), D-mannitol (10), ethyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), (+)-magnoflorine (12), stepharanine (13), (2S, 4R)-4-hydroxy-2-piperidine-carboxylic acid (14), respectively.
Conclusion: All the compounds were isolated from the genus Polyalthia for the first time; compounds 6 and 13 showed inhibitation activities against multi tumor cell lines.