Chemical constituents from the flowers of sphaerocoryne lefevrei (annonaceae)

Phytochemical investigation of the flowers of Sphaerocoryne lefevrei (Baill.) D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray led to the isolation of thirteen compounds. They consist of one previously undescribed heptenoid, namely 7-benzoyloxy-4-hydroxy-1-ethoxy-(2E,4Z)-heptadiene-1,6-dione (1), one simple benzenoid isolated for the first time from a natural source, namely 2-oxopropyl benzoate (2), and eleven known compounds. The isolated compounds were identified by thorough analysis of spectroscopic (UV, IR and NMR) and spectrometric (HRESIMS) data. The previously undescribed compound 1 and four known compounds were tested in vitro for anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities. Compound 7 showed potent activity against the HeLa cell line (IC₅₀ = 4.7 µM), while compound 8 displayed moderate activity against the KB cell line (IC₅₀ = 30.7 µM). The latter also showed a moderate NO inhibitory effect in LPS-induced macrophage RAW 264.7 (IC₅₀ = 51.3 µM). This work is the first phytochemical investigation of S. lefevrei.