Paeoveitols A-E from Paeonia veitchii.

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Paeonia veitchii is a plant with a history of traditional medicinal use.
• Investigating its chemical constituents may reveal novel bioactive compounds.
• The human melatonin receptor 1 (MT1) is a target for various physiological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize new chemical constituents from Paeonia veitchii.
• To evaluate the biological activity of isolated compounds, specifically their effect on the human melatonin receptor 1 (MT1).

Main Methods:

• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (IR, UV, MS, 1D and 2D NMR).
• Determination of absolute configuration via single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
• In vitro assay for human MT1 receptor agitation using HEK293 cells.

Main Results:

• Five new compounds, Paeoveitols A-E (1-5), were isolated, including three monoterpenes and two benzofuran derivatives.
• The structures of all compounds were elucidated.
• Compound 4 exhibited weak agitation activity at the human MT1 receptor (22.52% at 1.79 mM).

Conclusions:

• Paeonia veitchii yielded five novel compounds, Paeoveitols A-E.
• Compound 4 shows preliminary weak activity at the human MT1 receptor, warranting further investigation.