Polyphenolic components of knotwood extracts from Abies sibirica

An extract from the knotwood of Abies sibirica (Siberian fir) was studied by HPLC, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry with the goal to identify new sources of phytoestrogens, which are promising medicinal agents, and to obtain new representatives of natural compounds of the indicated group. The following compounds were found in the extract and identified: 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxymethyl-4-[1-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)methyl]tetrahydrofuran (1), 5′-(7-hydroxymatairesinyl)-5″-(7‴-hydroxymatairesinol) (2), 2,3-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)butane-1,4-diol (3, (−)-secoisolariciresinol), and 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-5-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-4-(hydroxymethyl)dihydro-furan-2(3H)-one (4). Compound 2 was previously unknown.