Lignans and neolignans from Stelleropsis antoninae

Stelleropsis antoninae Pobed. (Family: Thymelaeaceae) grows wildly as an herbaceous plant in Iran. Most of the Thymelaeaceous plants contain lignans and neolignans, which have important pharmacologically properties. In the present study, the isolation and identification of the main lignans and neolignans of S. antoninae, which has not been previously reported is described and compared to other species.

Column (CC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) methods were used for the isolation and purification, and (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, HMBC, HMQC, H-H COSY and MS were employed for the identification of the compounds isolated from the methanol extract.

From the methanol extract of the aerial parts of S. antoninae four lignans, syringaresinol (1), syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), liriodendrin (6), and two neolignans, 5-methoxylariciresinol 4'-O- β-D-glucopyranoside (3) and dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-β -D-glucopyranoside (2) were isolated and identified.

The results of this study show that siringaresinol, a well-known bioavtive compound, and its glucosides are the main lignans, and lariciresinol and coniferyl alcohol derivatives are the main neolignans of S. antoninae.