Koumbalones A and B, New Casbane Diterpenes from Maprounea africana

The organic extract of Maprounea africana yielded koumbalones A [1] and B [2], defined by spectral methods as new variations on the casbane ring system. The gross structures, relative configurations, and solution conformations were determined by a combination of spectral analyses and molecular modeling. Because koumbalone A spontaneously converts to koumbalone B at room temperature, koumbalone B may be an artifact of isolation.