ABSTRACT The investigation of chemical constituents of Bryophytes has shown the presence of unique metabolites. For example, the naphthalene derivative (epiphyllic acid) has been isolated from gametophytes of Pellia epiphylla. Further oxygenated lignan derivatives scapaniapyrone, jamesopyrone and erimopyrone have been isolated from Scapania undulata, Jamesoniella autumnalis, and Moerckia erimona, respectively. They are biosynthesized from two caffeic molecules, a common phenolic unit in liverworts. This article review their structure and biosynthesis in Bryophytes: 1) Structures of unusual lignan derivatives, scapaniapyrone, jamesopyrone and erimopyrone in liverworts have been determined by using spectroscopic methods. 2) HPLC analyses of two lignans, epiphyllic acid and jamesopyrone have been demonstrated on 52 species of Bryophytes. The amounts of lignans in liverworts were larger than those in mosses. Especially, J. autumnalis contained 2mg ca. of jamesopyrone in 1g dry weight plants. Chiral HPLC analyses of lignans in twelve liverworts clarified their enantiomerical deviations. 3) Feeding experiments of stable isotope labeled compounds showed the biosynthetic pathway of epiphyllic acid and jamesopyrone produced by the liverworts.
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