Cell differentiation-inducing diterpenes from Andrographis paniculata Nees.

The methanol extract of the aerial part of Andrographis paniculata Nees showed potent cell differentiation-inducing activity on mouse myeloid leukemia (M1) cells. From the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the methanol extract, six new diterpenoids of ent-labdane type, 14-epi-andrographolide (3), isoandrographolide (4), 14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide (7), 12-epi-14-deoxy-12-methoxyandrographolide (8), 14-deoxy-12-hydroxyandrographolide (9) and 14-deoxy-11-hydroxyandrographolide (10) as well as two new diterpene glucosides, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographi-side (12) and 6'-acetylneoandrographolide (14), and four new diterpene dimers, bis-andrograpolides A (15), B (16), C (17) and D (18), were isolated along with six known compounds. The structures of the diterpenoids were determined by means of spectral methods. Some of these compounds showed potent cell differentiation-inducing activity towards M1 cells.