Ailanthus is an important genus of the Simaroubaceae family that is widely distributed in Asia and north Australia, and which is used in folk medicines. The plants of this genus have numerous therapeutic applications and have, therefore, been the subject of extensive chemical examination. The genus is a rich source of quassinoids, and more than 60 have been identified so far from this genus. Those reported to date have been compiled in this review, together with bioactivity data in an effort to show the rapid development in the phytochemistry and therapeutic applications of the Ailanthus species.
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IshibashiM, TsuyukiT, MuraeT, HirotaH, TakahashiT, ItaiA, IitakaY. (1983) Constituents of the root bark of Ailanthus altissima Swingle. Isolation and X-ray crystal structures of shinjudilactone and shinjulactone C and conversion of ailanthone into shinjudilactone. Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 56, 3683–3693.
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IshibashiM, TatsushiM, HiroshiH, TsuyukiT, TakahashiT, ItaiA, IitakaY. (1982) Shinjulactone C, a new quassinoid with a 1α, 12α:5α, 13α-dicyclo-9β-picrasane skeleton from Ailanthus altissima Swingle. Tetrahedron Letters, 23, 1205–1206.
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IshibashiM, TsuyukiT, TakahashiT. (1983) Conversion of ailanthone into shinjulactone C through an ionic [4+2] cycloaddition reaction. Tetrahedron Letters, 24, 4843–4846.
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37.
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