Germacrane-type sesquiterpenes from Curcuma wenyujin.

Two new germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactones, curdionolides A and B (1 and 2, resp.), and a novel germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactam, curdionolide C (3), were isolated from Curcuma wenyujin. Y. H. Chen et C. Ling together with five known germacrane-type sesquiterpenes, 4–8. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1–8 on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages were evaluated.