Five previously undescribed indolizidine- and piperidine-type alkaloids, named benstolizidines A-E ( 1 - 5 ), were isolated from the leaves of Benstonea parva . The structures and absolute configurations of these alkaloids were determined using comprehensive spectroscopic methods, including GIAO NMR calculations, DP4+ probability analysis, TDDFT-ECD method, and X-ray crystallography. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for these alkaloids was proposed. Bioassay studies revealed that indolizidine compounds 1 , 2 , and 4 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity, consistent with previous findings on indolizidine alkaloids from Pandanus species. However, compounds 1 - 4 notably extended the lifespan of C. elegans , with compound 2 exhibiting the most significant effect, increasing longevity by up to 9% compared to untreated controls. These findings suggest the promising therapeutic potential of these alkaloids in addressing age-related and degenerative diseases. Five previously undescribed alkaloids, comprising four indolizidines ( 1–4 ) and one piperidine ( 5 ), were isolated from Benstonea parva (Pandanaceae). Indolizidines 1–4 exhibited lifespan-extending activity in Caenorhabditis elegans • Five indolizidine alkaloids, benstolizidines A–E, were isolated from Benstonea parva • A plausible biosynthetic pathway to benstolizidines A–E was proposed • Benstolizidines A–D exhibited notable lifespan extension effects on Caenorhabditis elegans
Chu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.