abstract
Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Solanum melongena L. led to the isolation of 16
phenylpropanoid amides (1e16). Their structures were identified by analysis of spectroscopic
data and comparison with those reported in the literature. This is the first report of the
natural occurrence of N-trans-sinapoyloctopamine (9) and N-trans-caffeoyloctopamine (10).
N-trans-feruloylnoradrenline (12) and N-cis-feruloylnoradrenline (16) were isolated from
the genus Solanum for the first time. Four compounds including 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-[2-
(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methoxyethyl] acrylamide (5), 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-N-
[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-methoxyethyl] acrylamide (6), N-trans-p-coumaroylnoradrenline
(11), and N-cis-p-coumaroyloctopamine (15) were firstly reported from S. melongena. The
chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds was summarized.