New and bioactive lignans from the fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera

Phytochemical investigation of the ethanol extract from the fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera has resulted in isolation of seven new oxygenated lignans (1-7), in addition to 11 known compounds (8-18). Their structures were determined on the basis of 2D-NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY) analyses. The isolated components were evaluated with a reporter gene assay that measures their anti-liver fibrosis activity. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 11, 13, 14 and 18 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity on HSC-T6 test. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.