Melongenaterpenes A-L, Vetispirane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Roots of Solanum melongena

Melongenaterpenes A-L (1-12), 12 new sesquiterpenoids with rare spiro[4.5]decane skeletons, were isolated from the roots of Solanum melongena. Their 2D structures and relative configurations were determined based on NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configuration of melongenaterpene A (1) was defined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute configurations of the remaining compounds were determined by comparison of their NMR data with 1 and consideration of the biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of the crystal structure of a vetispirane-type sesquiterpenoid. None of the compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against the three human cancer cell lines HepG2, HeLa, and MCF-7.