Activity of macrocyclic jatrophane diterpenes from Euphorbia kansui in a TrkA fibroblast survival assay

Three new macrocyclic diterpenes, kansuinins F (1), G (2), and H (3), together with four known jatrophane diterpenes, kansuinins D (4), E (5), and A (6) and 3beta,5alpha,7beta,15beta-tetraacetoxy-9alpha-nicotinoyloxyjatropha-6(17)-11E-dien-14-one, were isolated from the roots of Euphorbia kansui. Compounds 1 and 2 were assigned as 6(17)-en-11,12-epoxy-14-one-type jatrophane diterpenes, and compound 3 as a 6(17)-en-11,14-epoxy-12-one jatrophane diterpene. The structures of compounds 1-3 and the relative configurations of compounds 4 and 5 were determined by spectral data analysis. Kansuinin E (5) exhibited a specific survival effect on fibroblasts that expressed TrkA, a high-affinity receptor for nerve growth factor.