Kuguacin

A kuguacin is one of several chemical compounds isolated from the bitter melon vine ("Momordica charantia", "kǔguā" in Chinese) by J.-C. Chen and others.
Kuguacins are cucurbitacins, formally derived from the triterpene hydrocarbon cucurbitane. They include:
Kuguacins F-S can be extracted with ethanol from the stems and leaves of "M. charantia". Kuguacins I, J, and Q are artifacts of the extraction process. Kuguacin R is obtained as mixture of two epimers. In this process one also obtains momordicine I, kuguacin E, 5β,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23-diene-3β,19,25-triol, karavilagenin D, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,(23E)-dien-19-al, and 3β,7β-dihydroxy-25-methoxycucurbita-5,(23E)-dien-19-al In vitro tests showed weak anti-HIV activity for kuguacins F-S, especially kuguacin Q and kuguacin S.