New biflavanones and bioactive compounds from Stellera chamaejasme L.

AIM To study the chemical constituents of the root of Stellera chamaejasme L. METHODS Various column chromatographies on silica gel and RP-18 were employed for isolation and purification. Structures of compounds were elucidated by spectral analysis. RESULTS Eight lignans and three biflavonoids possessing a C-3/C-3″ linkage were isolated. They are ruixianglangdusu A (1) and B (2), 4′,4,5,5″,7,7″-hexahydroxy-3,3″-biflavone (3), (+)-kusunokinin (4), lirioresinol-B (5), magnolenin C (6), (-)-pinoresinol monomethyl ether (7), (-)-pinoresinol (8), (+)-matairesinol (9), isohinokinin (10) and (-)-eudesmin (11). CONCLUSION Compounds 1 and 2 are new biflavanones, 1 is enantiomeric to known chamaejasmenin C, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 were isolated from this plant for the first time, and 7 was isolated from natural resources for the first time. In vitro bioassays showed that 3 and 8 exhibited antibacterial activity, and 1, 2, 9 and 11 exhibited immunomodulatory activity.