Balsaminol A
Encyclopedia
Balsaminol A or cucurbita-5,24-diene-3β,7β,23(R),29-tetraol, is a chemical compound
with formula , found in the Balsam apple vine (Momordica balsamina
). It is a cucurbitane
-type triterpenoid
, related to cucurbitacin
, isolated by C. Ramalhete and others in 2009.
Balsaminol A is an amorphous powder soluble in methanol
and ethyl acetate
but insoluble in n-hexane
. It is cytotoxic at about 50 μM.
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
with formula , found in the Balsam apple vine (Momordica balsamina
Momordica balsamina
Momordica balsamina is a tendril-bearing annual vine native to the tropical regions of Africa, introduced and invasive in Asia, Australia, and Central America. It has pale yellow, deeply veined flowers and round, somewhat warty, bright orange fruits, or "Apples". When ripe, the fruits burst...
). It is a cucurbitane
Cucurbitane
Cucurbitane is a chemical compound with formula . It is a polycyclic hydrocarbon, specifically a triterpene. It is an isomer of lanostane , from which it differs by the formal shift of a methyl group from the 10 to the 9β position in the standard steroid numbering scheme.The name is applied to...
-type triterpenoid
Triterpenoid
Triterpenoids are terpenoid derviatives of triterpene molecules.They may have useful anti-cancer properties.Notable examples*Betulinic acid, possible anti-cancer drug*Bardoxolone methyl, inflammation modulator*Triterpenoid saponins...
, related to cucurbitacin
Cucurbitacin
Cucurbitacin is any of a class of biochemical compounds that some plants — notably members of the family Cucurbitaceae, that includes the common pumpkins and gourds — developed in order to defend themselves from herbivores...
, isolated by C. Ramalhete and others in 2009.
Balsaminol A is an amorphous powder soluble in methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
and ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes...
but insoluble in n-hexane
Hexane
Hexane is a hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C6H14; that is, an alkane with six carbon atoms.The term may refer to any of four other structural isomers with that formula, or to a mixture of them. In the IUPAC nomenclature, however, hexane is the unbranched isomer ; the other four structures...
. It is cytotoxic at about 50 μM.