Carexanes: prenyl stilbenoid derivatives from Carex distachya

Metabolites with a new molecular skeleton, named carexane, have been isolated from the leaves of Carex distachya. The structures have been determined on the basis of the spectroscopic characteristics of the compounds. Bidimensional NMR has furnished important data useful for the characterization and the stereochemistry of the molecules. The compounds have a tetracyclic skeleton derived from the coupling of the prenyl moiety on a stilbenoid structure.