Objective: The genus of Ferula belongs to the tribe Peucedaneae, subfamily of Apioideae and family of Umbelliferae with 133 species distributed throughout the Mediterranean area and central Asia, especially in the former USSR and neighboring countries such as Iran. The popular Persian name of the most of these species is “Koma”. In this research we tried to isolate and elucidate the structure of new sesquiterpene in the root ofFerula latisecta (F. latisecta(.Materials and Methods: Dried and powdered roots of F. latisecta were extracted with CH2Cl2 using a Soxhlet apparatus. The extract was concentratedin vacuo to give a red extract. The extract was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HMBC, HSQC, and NOESY spectra were the methods we used to elucidate the structure of new sesquiterpene in this plant.Results: One new sesquieterpene coumarin, namely Latisectin and IUPAC name [1- (2-Hydroxy-4- methoxy-phenyl) -3, 4, 8, 12-tetramethyl-trideca-4, 7, 11-trien-1-one], together with one known compound, Kopetdaghin C, were isolated from the root of F. latisecta.Conclusion: In this research the structure of one new and one known sesquiterpene in the root of F.latisectawas elucidated.

Re-investigation of the methylene chloride extract of the roots of Ferula sinaica gave ferusinol, a new sesquiterpene coumarin with a rare carbon skeleton, and samarcandin diastereomer. The structures elucidation were determined by MS, 1H- 13C-1D and 2D NMR spectral data.

Objective: During the last three decades sesquiterpenoid lactones have emerged as one of the largest groups of plant products with over 3000 naturally occurring substances known. The genus Artemisia characteristically contains this biologically active type of secondary metabolites. With respect to increasing interest in the cytotoxic, antibiotic, phototoxic and antineoplastic activities of sesquiterpene lactones, identification of these compounds in Khorasanian Artemisia species, that some of them are endemic to Iran, can be worth while. Materials and Methods: Ten species of Artemisia were collected from different parts of Khorasan Provinces of Iran. IR spectra recorded as KBr disks and in CH2Cl2 on a Unicam dp 110 spectrometer (UK). 1H-NMR (500 MHz) spectra were measured in CDCl3 using a Bruker DRX 500 spectrometer. Number of scans was 32 for all of the samples. The Herz-Hogenauer technique was applied for preparation of the terpenoid extracts. Results: Our findings revealed that A. absinthium, A. ciniformis, A. fragrans, A. khorassanica, A. kopetdaghensis, A. santolina and A. sieberi had a high amount of sesquiterpene lactones. A little or no sesquiterpene lactone had been detected in other species. Differentiation of saturated and unsaturated sesquiterpene lactones was one of the advantages of 1H-NMR application in this method. Conclusion: Many of tested Khorasanian Artemisia species contained high amounts of sesquiterpene lactones.

Several complications attributed with Herpes virus related infections and the emergence of drug resistant viruses prompt scientists to search for new drugs. Several terpenoids and coumarins have shown anti HSV effects while no sesquiterpene coumarins have been previously tested for HSV treatment. Three sesquiterpene coumarins badrakemin acetate (1), kellerin (2) and samarcandin diastereomer (3) were isolated from the gum resin of Ferula assa-foetida, a herbal medicine with antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antiviral effects. Compounds were identified by 1D and 2D- NMR spectroscopies and comparison with literature data. A comparative evaluation of cytotoxicity and antiviral activity showed that kellerin (2) could significantly inhibit the cytopathic effects and reduce the viral titre of the herpes virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA viral strain KOS at concentrations of 10, 5 and 2.5 mg/mL.

Despite significant advances in treatment, breast cancer remains a medical problem and the most common cancer leading to death among women worldwide. The most common breast cancer treatments, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are usually expensive and can cause severe side effects and low response rates due to drug resistance. To overcome these problems, medicinal plants can be the best alternative to chemotherapy drugs with fewer side effects and cost-effectiveness. Sesquiterpene lactones are compounds of the Asteraceae plant family that has significantly impacted various aspects of breast cancer cells. This review focused on the biological properties of Sesquiterpene lactones and their potential processes in breast cancer, leading to enhanced anticancer effects.