Isolation and Identification of Bioactive Constituents from Stem Barks of Illicium difengpi

Abstract

Objective To isolate and identify bioactive constituents from the stem barks of Illicium difengpi. Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by repeated silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, recrystallization, and preparative HPLC techniques. The structures of the compounds were identified on the basis of spectral data including NMR, MS, and IR. Results Two sesquiterpene lactones, majucin (1) and anisatin (2), two steroids, β-sitosterol (3) and daucosterol (4), three carboxylic acids, 2-ethyldecanoic acid (5), shikimic acid (6), and 3,4-dihydrobenzoic acid (7), and a flavonoid, quercetin (8), were successively isolated from the stem barks of I. difengpi. Conclusion Apart from compound 3, other seven compounds are reported in this plant for the first time. The results suggested that the current studies on I. difengpi is still far from being well known and therefore more studies need to be done for better understanding of this plant.