TWO NEW 2-ARYLBENZOFURANS FROM THE STEMS OF NICOTIANA TABACUM AND THEIR BIOACTIVITIES

Two new 2-arylbenzofurans, 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,5-dimethylbenzofuran-7-ol (1) and 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,5-dimethylbenzofuran-6-ol (2), were isolated from the stems of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined by means of HR-ESI-MS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. Compounds 1 and 2 were tested for their anti-TMV and cytotoxicity activities. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 29.2% and 30.8% at the concentration of 20 μM. These rates are close to that of positive control (31.1%). Compounds 1 and 2 also showed moderate to weak cytotoxicities against the tested human tumor cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 2.2–8.2 μM.