Study on the Chemical Components of Lignans from the Root Bark of Schisandra Sphenanthera

OBJECTIVE To study the chemical constituents in the root bark of Schisandra sphenanthera and their cytotoxic activities.

METHODS The compounds were isolated and purified by silica, Sephadex LH-20 and semi preparative-HPLC and the chemical structures were identified by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and MS data analysis. The cytotoxic activities of the compounds were determined by MTT method.

RESULTS Twenty lignans were isolated and deduced as: Matairesinol (1), 2-Hydroxy-2-(3′, 4′-dihydroxyphenyl)methyl-3-(3″, 4″-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl-gamma-butyrolactone (2), (+)-Nortrachelogenin (3), 2-Hydroxy-2-(4′-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl- 3′-hydroxyphenyl)methyl-3-(3″, 4″-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl-γ-butyrolactone (4), Nortracheloside (5), Burselignan (6), (+)-Cycloolivil (7), 5-Methoxy-(+)-isolariciresinol (8), (-)-Isolariciresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (9), (+)-9-O-β-D-Glucopyranosyl lyoniresinol (10), (-)-Secoisolariciresinol (11), Licarin A (12), Cedrusin (13), Matairesinol 4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (14), Pregomisin (15), Meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (16), 7S, 8R-Erythro-4, 9, 9′-trihydroxy-3, 3′-dimethoxy-8-O-4′-neolignan-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (17), Gomisin M2 (18), Gomisin M3 (19), Pinoresinol (20). Compounds 1-3, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19 showed cytotoxic activity against A549, HCT116 and SW620 cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.4 to 22.9 μmol·L^-1.

CONCLUSION Compounds 1-4, 6-12, 14, 17-19 are isolated from the plant for the first time, compounds 1-3, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19 exhibit cytotoxic activities.