Meroterpenes from Psoralea corylifolia against Pyricularia oryzae.

Six new meroterpenes, namely, 13-methoxyisobakuchiol (1), 13-ethoxyisobakuchiol (2), 12,13-dihydro-13-hydroxybakuchiol (3), Δ(10)-12,13-dihydro-12-(R,S)-methoxyisobakuchiol (4 and 5), and 15-demetyl-12,13-dihydro-13-ketobakuchiol (6), together with four known ones, namely, Δ(3),2-hydroxybakuchiol (7), Δ(1),3-hydroxybakuchiol (8), bakuchiol (9), and Δ(1,3)-bakuchiol (10), were isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia. Their structures were identified based on spectral data, including those obtained via 1D and 2D NMR, and MS spectral analyses. Antifungal screening results indicated that all compounds showed moderate inhibitory activities against Pyricularia oryzae.

Characterization of total phenolic constituents from the stems of Spatholobus suberectus using LC-DAD-MS(n) and their inhibitory effect on human neutrophil elastase activity.

Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae), has been used as a Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of anemia, menoxenia and rheumatism. A limited number of studies report that various types of flavonoids are the main characteristic constituents of this herb. We have now found that S. suberectus contains about 2% phenolic components and characterized the major phenolic components as homogeneous B-type procyanidin conjugates using a liquid chromatography with diode-array detection-ESI mass spectrometry (LC-DAD/ESI-MS) method. This is the first report on occurrence of most B-type procyanidins in this herb. Moreover, the total phenolics extract was assayed for inhibitory activity on human neutrophil elastase and its IC50 was found to be 1.33 µg/mL.