Chemical constituents of Mallotus japonicus Thunb. and their chemotaxonomic significance

A phytochemical investigation of the stems of Mallotus japonicus Thunb. led to the isolation of nineteen metabolites (1–19). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated, revealing eighteen phenolics (1–18), including one coumarin (14) and four lignans (15–18), and one diterpene (19) through analyses of NMR, ESIMS, and optical rotation data. Notably, eleven (7–11 and 13–18) of these metabolites were previously unreported within the genus Mallotus. Consequently, the chemotaxonomic significance of the isolates was evaluated, suggesting that 6′-O-vanilloylisotachioside (11) and daphnecin (14) hold the potential to serve as chemical markers for distinguishing M. japonicus from other plant species.