Abstract
Two new noncyanogenic cyanoglucoside dimers, simmonosides A and B (1 and 2), were identified from the aqueous extract of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) leaves. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first examples of noncyanogenic cyanoglucoside dimers containing a unique four-membered ring, representing novel dimerization patterns at α,β-unsaturated carbons of a nitrile group in 1 and γ,δ-unsaturated carbons in 2. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic evidence and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit promising COX-2 inhibition activity, with IC50 values of 13.5 and 11.4 μM, respectively.