Sesquiterpene phenylpropanoids from Ferula fukanensis and their nitric oxide production inhibitory effects

Five new sesquiterpene phenylpropanoid derivatives, fukanedone A (1), fukanedone B (2), fukanedone C (3), fukanedone D (4), and fukanedone E (5), and a novel phenyl-oxo-acetate ester, fukaneketoester A (6), were isolated from a 80% aqueous methanol extract of the roots of Ferula fukanensis. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscorpic evidence, especially heteronuclear multiple-bond connectivity (HMBC) and high-resolution MS. The sesquiterpene phenylpropanoid derivatives inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) gene expression by a murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7), which was activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and recombinant mouse interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma).