Acetylenes from Panax quinquefolium

Abstract Two new C 17 -polyacetylenes and a C 14 -polyacetylene were isolated from dried roots of Panax quinquefolium . Their structures were determined by their 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and mass spectral data. The cytotoxic activity of C 17 -polyacetylenes against leukemia cells (L 1210) was ca 20 times that of the C 14 -polyacetylene.