Biginkgosides A–I, Unexpected Minor Dimeric Flavonol Diglycosidic Truxinate and Truxillate Esters from Ginkgo biloba Leaves and Their Antineuroinflammatory and Neuroprotective Activities

Nine unexpected new flavonol glycoside cyclodimers in the truxinate (1–7, biginkgosides A–G, respectively) or truxillate [biginkgosides H (8) and I (9)] forms were isolated as minor components from the extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves. The new dimers possess an unusual cyclobutane ring formed by a [2+2]-cycloaddition between two symmetric (for compounds 1–5 and 7–9) or nonsymmetric (for 6) flavonol coumaroyl glucorhamnosides. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for these new compounds based on the frontier molecular orbital theory of cycloaddition reactions is briefly discussed. An antineuroinflammatory screening revealed that biginkgosides E (5) and H (8) inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV-2 microglial cells, with IC50 values of 2.91 and 17.23 μM, respectively. Additionally, biginkgoside F (6) showed a significant neuroprotective effect (34.3% increase in cell viability at 1 μM) against Aβ25–35-induced cell viability decrease in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.