The genus Clerodendrum belongs to t

The genus Clerodendrum belongs to the subfamily Viticoideae
and is the largest genus of the family Verbenaceae. Plants of the
genus Clerodendrum are well known for their pesticidal properties.
In East Africa they are used as army-worm antifeedants, and in
West Africa the leaf extract is used for arresting bleeding from
cuts and other wounds as well as for stopping postpartum
hemorrhage. Clerodendrum bungei Steud. (Verbenaceae) is a small
shrub native to mainland China. Preparations of the leaves and
branches of C. bungei, have been used in folk medicine to treat
boils, hemorrhoids, eczema, and hypertension, and the roots are
used to alleviate rheumatism, beriberi, hypertension, and prolapse
of the uterus. Several types of constituents including diterpenoids,
phenylethanoid glycosides, and steroids and triterpenoids
have been identified from this plant. An extract of the roots of C.
bungei has been found to inhibit the growth of sarcoma in mice,
but the antitumor components of this plant have not been
determined. As part of an ongoing effort to discover potential
anticancer agents from Chinese medicinal plants, the roots of C.
bungei, collected in Guangxi Province, were investigated systematically.
This has led to the isolation and structure elucidation of five
new abietane-type diterpenoids (1–5) and the purification of three
known substances (6–8). Compounds 1–8 were evaluated for
cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines, and uncinatone (7)
was further tested by cell-cycle analysis.