Chemical constituents from the roots and stems of Litsea cubeba

Abstract

A new monoterpene and a new lignan, named litsecols A and B (1 and 2), respectively, together with nine known compounds (3–11), were isolated in a continuous investigation on the roots and stems of Litsea cubeba. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and the absolute configuration of 1 was resolved by X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 2–5 and 7–9 showed significant inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine microglial (Bv-2) cell line. Compounds 10 and 11 exhibited significant neuroprotective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage in rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cell line.

Keywords:

• Litsea cubeba
• Lauraceae
• anti-inflammatory activity
• neuroprotective effect

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Yuan Zhang (School of Chinese Materia Medica, BUCM) for the authentication of the material medicine.