Structural elucidation a complex galactosyl and glucosyl-rich pectin from the pericarp of immature fruits of Juglans mandshurica Maxim.

A glucosyl-rich pectin, JMMP-3 (Mw, 2.572 × 104 g/mol, O-methyl % = 3.62%), was isolated and purified from the pericarp of the immature fruit of Juglans mandshurica Maxim. (QingLongYi). The structure of JMMP-3 was studied systematically by infrared spectroscopy, monosaccharide compositions, methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, and 1/2D-NMR. The backbone of JMMP-3 possessed a smooth region (→ 4GalA1 →) and a hairy region (→ 4GalA1 → 2Rha1 →) with a molar ratio of 2: 5. The substitution of four characteristic side chains (R1-R4) occurs at C-4 of → 2,4)-α-Rhap-(1→, where R1 is composed of → 5)-α-Araf-(1→, R2 is composed of → 4)-ß-Galp-(1 → and ß-Galp-(1→, R3 is composed of α-Glcp-(1→, →4)-α-Glcp-(1 → and → 4,6)-α-Glcp-(1→, and R4 is composed of → 5)-α-Araf-(1→, ß-Galp-(1→, → 4)-ß-Galp-(1→, → 3,4)-ß-Galp-(1→, → 4,6)-ß-Galp-(1 → and → 2,4)-ß-Galp-(1 → . In addition, the antitumor activity of JMMP-3 on HepG2 cells was preliminarily investigated.

Oligo/polysaccharides from Cyathula officinalis and Achyranthes bidentata: a review of structures and bioactivities.

OBJECTIVES: Oligo-/polysaccharides from Cyathula officinalis Kuan (COPs) and Achyranthes bidentata Blume (ABPs) have attracted researchers' attention in the fields of healthy food supplements and traditional Chinese medicine (Niúxi) due to their multiple bioactivities combined with their nontoxic and highly biocompatible nature. The purpose of this paper was to provide a systematic and comprehensive overview of the extraction, purification, and structural analysis methods, chemical characteristics, biological activities, and structure bioactivity relationship. Furthermore, the possible development trends and perspectives for future research, and traditional uses of Niúxi are also summarized. METHODS: All the information was gathered from a library search and scientific databases. KEY FINDINGS: Although COPs and ABPs are derived from different plants, they have similar structural features in type, structure, and glycosidic linkage patterns and biological activities in vivo and in vitro. However, there are differences in monosaccharide compositions, which can be used as an identification mark. CONCLUSIONS: As traditional Chinese herbal medicine, C. officinalis and A. bidentata have similar pharmacological activities. The COPs and ABP possess wide pharmacological effects such as antitumor, antioxidant, anti-osteoporosis, and anti-inflammatory. Meanwhile, the biological activity and structure-activity relationship of purified COPs and ABPs are less studied, future research should focus on them.

Revealing the "Yin-Jing" mystery veil of Platycodon grandiflorum by potentiating therapeutic effects and lung-oriented guidance property.

ETHNIC PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: "Yin-Jing" medicine (YJM) has been widely used by both ancient and modern Chinese medicine practitioners during long-term clinical practice. However, it remains unclear how to best guide other medicines to the targeted organs in a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription. Here, in an attempt to explain the scientific connotation of the YJM property (YJMP) attributed to a basic TCM theory, Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) was chosen as a case study to reveal the mystery of YJMP theory. AIM OF THE STUDY: The main purpose of this study is to employ modern chemical and molecular biology methods to confirm the "Yin-Jing" effect of PG, and further clarify its material basis and related possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ammonia-induced lung injury rat model was utilized to determine the optimal dosage of traditional prescription Hui Yan Zhu Yu decoction (HYZYD) using Wright Giemsa staining, HE staining, Masson staining, and TUNEL analysis. With the same way, PG was confirmed to have potentiating therapeutic effect (PTE) by comparison with HYZYD and [HYZYD-PG]. TMT proteomics was used to reveal the "Yin-Jing" mechanism of action. Western blot assay (WB) was employed for verification of differentially expressed proteins. Additionally, four non-crossing fragmentations (Fr. A-D) were characterized by RPLC/SEC-ELSD and HILIC-ESI--Q-OT-IT-MS techniques. The PTE and guidance property assays were utilized to evaluate "Yin-Jing" functions by a compatible combination of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYA) using qPCR, FCM, WB, HPLC, high content cell imaging (HCI) and high-resolution live-cell imaging (HRLCI) techniques. RESULTS: The HYZYD-M (medium dose group) significantly improved the lung injury level in a pneumonia model of rats. PG enhanced the therapeutic effect of HYZYD ascribed to Yin-Jing PTE functions. TMT proteomics revealed a category of differentially expressed proteins ascribed to Golgi-ER between HYZYD and [HYZYD-PG]. Fr. C (i.e., saponins) and Fr. D (i.e., lipids) were determined as therapeutic fragmentations via the LPS-induced A549 cell injury model; however, Fr. B (fructooligosaccharides and small Mw fructans) had no therapeutic effect. Further compatibility PTE assays confirmed Fr. B significantly improved efficiency by a combination of HYA. The guidance assays showed Fr. B could significantly increase the uptake and distribution of HYA into lung cells and tissues. HCI assays showed that Fr. B increased uptake of HYA accompanied by significant activation of Golgi-ER. Unlike Fr. B, HRLCI showed that Fr. A, C and D were not only unobvious activations of Golgi-ER but also insignificant facilitation of colocalizations between HYA and Golgi-ER. CONCLUSIONS: Fr. B is believed to be a key YJMP material basis of PG attributed to Yin-Jing PTE with characteristic of lung-oriented guidance property, whereas another abound Fr. C was determined to have synergistic effects rather than Yin-Jing material basis.

Structure of a highly branched galacturonoglucan from fruits of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.

A novel galacturonoglucan, named SCP-1, is isolated and purified from Schisandra chinensis fruits. The structure of SCP-1 is systematically investigated by a combination of monosaccharide compositions, absolute Mw, methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, isoamylase degradations, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure of SCP-1 is theoretically described as follows: (i) Glc and GalA in a molar ratio of 17:3; (ii) â†’ 4)-α-Glcp-(1→, →4,6)-α-Glcp-(1→, →3,4,6)-α-Glcp-(1→, α-Glcp-(1→, →4)-α-GalAp-6-OMe-(1→, α-GalAp-6-OMe-(1→, ß-Glcp-(1→, →6-)-ß-Glcp-(1 â†’ and →3,4)-ß-Glcp-(1 â†’ in a molar ratio of 48:5:3:3:10:5:12:5:9; (iii) a repeating unit of →4)-α-Glcp-(1 â†’ as a backbone with branched points at C-3 and C-6, substituted by different types of acidic and neutral side chains to form multiple branches; and (iv) a rigid rod configuration deduced from α value of 1.26 in Mark-Houwink equation ([η] = kMα). Anti-tumor assay investigated the effects of SCP-1 on human HepG2 cancer cell lines in vitro. This is for the first time to report a galacturonoglucan in S. chinensis fruits.

Exploring the effects of different processing techniques on the composition and biological activity of Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC. by metabonomics and pharmacologic design.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC. (PG) is a common natural medicine with a history of thousands of years. The processing products were mainly recorded as raw, honey-processed, wine-fried, yellow-fried, and bran-fried PG, which were respectively used for different clinical purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to study the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of PG after processing. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the effects of different processing methods on the composition and biological activity of PG using metabonomics and pharmacologic design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify different metabolites before and after the processing of PG. Network pharmacology was used to construct the metabolite-target-disease network. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting were used to detect cell viability, apoptosis, and the expression of related proteins, respectively. RESULT: A total of 43 differentially expressed metabolites (VIP >10) were detected and identified in the analyzed groups. Based on their chemical nature, these metabolites were divided into five categories, namely, saccharolipids, flavonoid glycosides, alkynes, saponins, and lipids (including fatty acids, phospholipids, fatty aldehydes, and sterols). The content of lipids in the five processed groups (CH, FC, JZ, MZI, and MZG) was found to be higher than that in raw PG. In particular, the processing approaches explored herein increased the contents of many phospholipids, such as, glycerophosphoinositols, phosphatidic acids, and lysophosphatidyle·thanolamines. The 8 metabolites were found by venn diagram to distinguish different processed products (metabolites 2, 6, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, and 38). The results of network pharmacology analysis showed that the primary anti-cancer targets of 43 metabolites of PG processing products are PIK3CA, Akt, and STAT3, and based on CCK-8 assay, MZI has a significant killing effect on A549 cells, compared to other processing techniques. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis showed that the cells treated with MZI exhibit significantly increased cell apoptosis, and that the effect is dose-dependent. Finally, the western blots performed herein demonstrated that the MZI effectively inhibits the expression of p-Akt and p-STAT3, which is consistent with the network pharmacology results. CONCLUSION: Depending on the processing technique, the contents of 43 different metabolites in PG were varied significantly. Specifically, the contents of phospholipids and fatty acids increase, whereas the contents of large Mw saponins decrease. Compared to the other investigated processing methods, MZI increases the potential of PG in inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation by affecting the Akt and STAT3 signaling pathways. The increased levels of 3-O-ß-glucopyranosyl polygalacic acid and platycoside F after honey-frying confirm these results.

Ultrafiltration isolation, structures and anti-tumor potentials of two arabinose- and galactose-rich pectins from leaves of Aralia elata.

Two novel arabinose- and galactose-rich pectic polysaccharides, AELP-B5 (Mw, 4.25 × 104 g/mol) and B6 (Mw, 1.56 × 104 g/mol), were rapidly obtained from the leaves of Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. with anion resin and sequenced ultrafiltration membrane columns. The structural backbone and branched chains of AELP-B5 and B6 were preliminarily elucidated by mild acid hydrolysis with HILIC-ESI--MS/MS. The planar structures and spatial configurations were further identified using UPLC-QDa and GC-MS for compositions, Smith degradation and methylation analysis, FT-IR, NMR (1H/13C, DEPT, HSQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY and TOCSY) and SEC-MALLS-RID. (1) AELP-B5 possessed →4GalA1→ as smooth regions (HG) and a repeating disaccharide moiety of →4GalA1→2Rha1→ as hairy regions (RG-I) with a 1:5 molar ratio, whereas AELP-B6 had a distinguishing 1:1 molar ratio between the HG and RG-I; (2) complex side chains were constituted of T-α-Araf, 1,3-α-Araf, 1,5-α-Araf, T-ß-Galp, 1,3-ß-Galp, 1,4-ß-Galp, 1,6-ß-Galp, 1,3,4-ß-Galp and 1,3,4,6-ß-Galp connected at C-4 of the rhamnosyl units in RG-I of AELP-B5 and B6; and (3) both possessed highly branched and compact coil conformations. The CCK-8 assay illustrated that AELP-B6 possessed higher cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HT-29 than that of AELP-B5. Surface plasmon resonance showed the binding affinity of AELP-B6 to galectin-3 (6.488 × 10-5 M) was about 10 times stronger than that of AELP-B5 (4.588 × 10-4 M). The above findings provide a molecular structure and bioactivity basis for future potential applications of AELP in the food and medical industries.

A high methyl ester pectin polysaccharide from the root bark of Aralia elata: Structural identification and biological activity.

In this study, a high methyl ester pectin polysaccharide, AER-A3 (Mw, 1.12 × 105 g/mol; O-methyl ester groups (wt%), 3.81%), was isolated and purified from the root bark of Aralia elata by ion exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. Its planar structure was investigated in combination with UPLC-ESI+-MS, FT-IR, HILIC-UPLC-ESI--HCD-MS/MS, GC-MS and NMR techniques. The main chain of AER-A3 was unambiguously determined to be smooth region and hairy region with a chain length ratio of 1:1, characterized by occurrence of (1 â†’ 2)-α-Rhap, (1 â†’ 2,3)-α-Rhap, (1 â†’ 2,4)-α-Rhap, (1 â†’ 2,3,4)-α-Rhap, and (1 â†’ 4)-α-GalpA, whereas the branched chain included T-α-Rhap, T-α-Araf, (1 â†’ 5)-α-Araf, (1 â†’ 3,5)-α-Araf, T-ß-Galp, (1 â†’ 3)-ß-Galp, (1 â†’ 3,4,6)-ß-Galp, (1 â†’ 4)-Glcp, (1 â†’ 3)-Glcp, and (1 â†’ 3)-Manp. Meanwhile, SEC-MALLS-RID, CD and Congo red assays showed that AER-A3 had no helical conformations but existed as a globular shape with branching. In addition, AER-A3 had good scavenging activities against DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals. Anti-tumor assay investigated the effects of AER-A3 on human A549 and HepG2 cancer cell lines in vitro. These results provided a scientific basis for the use of the polysaccharides in A. elata root barks in pharmaceuticals.

Structural-fingerprinting of polysaccharides to discern Panax species by means of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

In this paper, a sequential gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry route was proposed for characterization of polysaccharides in Panax ginseng (PG), P. notoginseng (PN), and P. quinquefolius (PQ). Due to the reflection of stepped structure parameters, the resulting integrative profiles were tentatively defined as structural-fingerprinting of polysaccharides (SFP) with monosaccharide compositional fingerprinting (MCF), Smith degradation and non-degradation fingerprinting (SDF and SNF), and oligosaccharide compositional fingerprinting (OCF). The MCF, OCF and SDF did not allow for visual discrimination of the three species due to the high interspecific similarity of PG and PQ, whereas SNF could intuitively distinguish PG, PN, and PQ by the presence or absence of Rha and the peak area ratio of Glc/Gal. Similarity analysis, heatmap analysis and principal component analysis were further performed to discern three Panax species based on SNF data sets. The linear →4)-Hexp-(1 â†’ structures were clearly identified as the common structural backbones in side chains or smooth regions of the main chain in PPG, PPN, and PPQ using HILIC-UHPLC-ESI--MS/MS for characterization of partial acid hydrolyzates. The experimental results displayed that the established SFP approach possesses high comprehensibility as well as satisfactory generalization capability for analysis of plant polysaccharides.

New sesquiterpenoids from the stems of Datura metel L.

Four new sesquiterpenoids (1-4) and two known ones (5-6) were isolated and identified from the stems of Datura metel L. The structures of the isolated compounds were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectra, as well as HR-ESI-MS. Additionally, the compounds 1-3 possessed the similar novel skelecton and compounds 5-6 were isolated from the Datura genus for the first time. The hypothetical biogenetic pathway was teased and provided. Meanwhile, the antiproliferative activities were evaluated on the two human cancer cells of HepG2 and Hela, respectively.

Aromatic monoterpenoid glycosides from rattan stems of Schisandra chinensis and their neuroprotective activities.

Six new monoterpenoid glycosides, including thymoquinol 5-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), cuminic acid 7-O-α-D-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl ester (2), p-cymene 7-O-α-D-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), p-methylhyd- ratropic acid 9-O-α-D-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl ester (4), (R)-p-cymene 9-O-α- D-arabinofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), and (R)-p-cymene 9-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (6), together with three known compounds, such as (R)-p-cymene 9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (7), thymoquinol 5-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), and thymoquinol 2-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9) were isolated from the 70%-EtOH extract of Schisandra chinensis rattan stems. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses. Meanwhile, the neuroprotective activities of compounds 1-9 were evaluated on the two co-culture models of microglia and neurons cells and astrocytoma and neurons cells.

A generic strategy based on gas phase decomposition of protonated and ammoninted precursors producing predictable MRM-MS ion pairs and collision energies for direct analysis of plant triterpene glycosides.

Optimization of multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) parameters of triterpene glycosides (TGs) using traditional infusion methods remains to be labor-intensive. However, it was found that mild gas phase decompositions of protonated and ammoninted precursors (DPAP) of TGs could produce a series of abundant dehydrated product ions of aglycones ([A+H-nH2O]+ (n = 0, 1, 2, 3…)) with high efficiency and stability. Based on these considerations and findings, an innovative ESI+-MRM-DPAP-MS strategy was devised on a QTRAP 4000 instrument allowing for rapid the qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant TGs. A detailed study of 85 model compounds from 20 herbal medicines was implemented for validation and evaluation of the ESI+-MRM-DPAP-MS strategy proposed. The central composition design confirmed that collision energy (CE) played more significant roles than declustering potentials (DP) for the formation of these Q1/Q3 ion pairs based on MRM-DPAP-MS. It is also noted that Q1 and Mw were the most important factors for the prediction of CE values by a partial least square regression model. Here, we demonstrated this generic workflow and its merits in: (1) early prediction and selection of MRM ion pairs, no matter which type of TGs, employing a new-found Q1/Q3 calculation formula (Q1=[M+H/NH4]+ and Q3= [A+H-nH2O]+ (n = 0, 1, 2, 3…)); (2) direct determination of practicable CE values using TGs-specific CE-estimating linear equations; (3) appearances of excellent sensitivity, stability and repeatability through real application in Aralia elata, Panax notoginseng and Caulophyllum robustum; (4) seamless application of optimal CE parameters in other triple quadrupole MS instruments such as Thermo TSQ Quantum Ultra. The ESI+-MRM- DPAP-MS may service as an effective and feasible approach for analytical characterization of biological TGs from herbal medicines.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based trimethylsilyl-alditol derivatives for quantitation and fingerprint analysis of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge polysaccharides.

Here we report a novel approach using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS)-based trimethylsilyl-alditol (TMSA) derivatives for simultaneous baseline separation and detection of 8 neutral saccharides and 2 uronic acids within 25 min. Using mild alkaline conditions to dissolve the sample in advance significantly increased both the detection sensitivity and sample stability of uronic acids because of occurrence of de-lactonization, whereas no obvious effects were observed for neutral saccharides. Sodium borohydride reduction of the carbonyl group of aldoses and the subsequent formation of TMSA derivatives simplifies GCMS chromatograms by producing a single peak for each derivatized sugar. The effects of both reaction temperatures and solvent ratios between HMDS and TMCS on formations of TMSA derivatives were also investigated. The established GCMS method was successfully applied for quantitation and fingerprint analysis of polysaccharides from the plant Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. A comparative analysis of A. asphodeloides polysaccharides was further performed between TMSA and other four types of derivatizations. The results showed that GCMS analysis based on precolumn TMSA derivatization coupled with fingerprint analysis is a comprehensive and effective technique for qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant polysaccharides from traditional Chinese medicines.

[Therapeutic Material Basis of Chemical Subdivisions of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma on Anti-inflammatory and Immunomudulatory Effects].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between chemical subdivision and immune suppressive activity in order to find out the anti-inflammatory and immunomudulatory pharmacological activity material basic of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma. METHOD: C57 mice was induced by 2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene to build immune inflammation which was also called contact allergic dermatitis. The influence of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma decoction and chemical subdivisions on immune organ, ear edema and the Th1/Th2 immune balance was measured by analytical balance and Elisa method. The inflammatory factor TNF-α and NO level excreted by macrophage RAW264. 7 induced by LPS were also investigated. RESULT: AA decoction, timosaponin and polysaccharides significantly reduced the immune organ index and ear edema degree (P < 0.05), protein expression of IFN-γ was inhibited by AA timosaponin fraction and polysaccharides fraction. In vitro experiments showed that the proliferation of spleen cells was inhibited by timosaponin and polysaccharides after induced by ConA (P < 0.05). The release of NO and TNF-α induced by LPS significantly decreased by Anemarrhenae Rhizoma decoction and timosaponin (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The significant anti-inflammatory and immunomudu latory effects of AA are related to timosaponin and polysaccharides.

Five withanolides from the leaves of Datura metel L. and their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production.

Four new withanolides named dmetelins A-D (compounds 1-4), along with the known compound 7α,27-dihydroxy-1-oxo-witha-2,5,24-trienolide (5) were isolated from the leaves of Datura metel L. (Solanaceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry data. All the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells. Compounds 1, 4 and 5 showed significant inhibitory activities, and compounds 2 and 3 showed moderate inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 17.8, 11.6, 14.9, 33.3 and 28.6 µM, respectively.

Quantitative analysis and fingerprint profiles for quality control of Fructus Schisandrae by gas chromatography: mass spectrometry.

This paper describes a simple, rapid, and effective quality assessment method for Fructus Schisandrae by gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS). The method was established by using specific lignan fingerprint profiles and quantitation of characteristic compounds in this herbal medicine. The GC-MS fingerprints of 15 batches of Schisandra samples from different regions of China showed similar lignan profiles. Five peaks were selected as characteristic peaks, and all of these were identified by using GC-MS techniques. The relative retention times of these characteristic peaks in the GC-MS fingerprint were established as an important parameter for identification of Schisandra samples. Meanwhile, relative peak areas may be a feasible approach to discriminate the S. chinensis and S. sphenanthera. Finally, these pharmacologically active constituents in the titled plant, schisandrins A-C and schizandrols A and B, were quantitatively determined using a validated GC-MS method.

Two novel norwithasteroids with unusual six- and seven-membered ether rings in side chain from flos daturae.

Chemical investigation of 50% ethanol eluate fraction of macroporous resin for the flower of Datura metel L. collected in Jiangsu province of China resulted in the isolation of two novel naturally occurring norwithasteroids, baimantuoluoline I (1) and baimantuoluoside J (2). Their structures were elucidated as 5 α , 6 ß , 12 ß -trihydroxy-1-oxo-2-en-ergosta-21,24;22,29-diepoxy-26-carboxylic acid (1) and 5 α , 6 ß , 12 ß , 25-tetrahydroxy-1-oxo-2-en-ergosta-21,24;22,29-diepoxy-26-carboxylic acid (2) on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D-NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. According to the literatures, this study represents the first report of the norwithasteroids in the side chain with unusual six- and seven-membered ether rings instead of those with an unmodified skeleton (δ-lactone or δ-lactol side chain) and a modified skeleton ( γ -lactone or γ -lactol side chain) in the family of withanolides. Meanwhile, compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their immunosuppressive activity against mice splenocyte proliferation in vitro.

Sesquiterpenes from Chloranthus japonicus.

Eight new sesquiterpene lactones (chlorajapolides A-E, 1-5, chlorajaposide, 6, chlorajaponol, 7, and chloraeudolide, 8) were isolated from an ethyl acetate-soluble partition of the ethanol extract of the whole plants of Chloranthus japonicus. The structures and relative configurations of 1-8 were established on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. All isolates obtained were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against a small panel of cancer cell lines.

Lignan constituents from Chloranthus japonicus Sieb.

A new coumarinolignan glucoside named yinxiancaoside C, along with five known benzofuran lignans, have been isolated from the whole plant of Chloranthus japonicus Sieb. The structures of compounds 1-6 were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, ESI-MS and HR-ESI-MS. Five known benzofuran lignans were firstly discovered in the Chloranthaceae. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds against human hepatoma (Hepg-2), ovarian carcinoma (OV420), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cells was investigated by MTT method.