Sterol and Triterpenoid Constituents of <i>Verbena </i><i>l</i><i>ittoralis</i> with NGF-Potentiating Activity

Abstract

Two new sterols, stigmast-5-ene 3beta,4beta,7alpha,22alpha-tetraol (1) and stigmast-5-ene 3beta,7alpha,22alpha-triol (2), were isolated from the aerial parts of a Paraguayan medicinal plant, Verbena littoralis, together with the known compounds ursolic acid (3) and oleanolic acid (4). The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 2-4 showed an enhancing activity of nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated neurite outgrowth in PC12D cells.