Phytochemistry, Vol. 30, Issue 11, 1991, Pages 3709-3712

Triterpenoids from gum mastic, the resin of Pistacia lentiscus 

Franz-Josef Marner, Antje Freyer and Johann Lex* 

Institut für Biochemie, Universität zu Köln Zülpicher Straße 47, D-5000 Köln 1, Germany

a Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität zu Köln Greinstraße 4, D-5000 Köln 41, Germany 

Abstract

Two novel nortriterpenoids and two, hitherto unknown, representatives of the rare malabaricane and polypodane type, respectively, were found in the neutral fraction of gum mastic, the resin of Pistacia lentiscus. In addition, several tri-, tetra- and pentacyclic triterpenes were identified. The significance of these results for the geometry of the epoxyqualene cyclase/substrate interaction in Pistacia lentiscus is discussed.