Three New Lindenane Sesquiterpenoids From Lindera aggregata With Selective Antifungal Activity

Three new lindenane-type sesquiterpenoids (1, 2, and 4), together with fifteen known analogues, were isolated from the roots of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. (Lauraceae), a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Infections caused by Candida albicans have become a serious clinical concern due to the increasing emergence of drug resistance and the shortage of highly selective antifungal agents. Lindenane-type sesquiterpenoids are characteristic constituents of L. aggregata with diverse structures and a broad spectrum of biological activities; however, their antifungal potential has rarely been explored. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and ECD calculations. In the antimicrobial assay, compounds 1-6, 8, 12, and 14 exhibited selective and potent inhibitory activity against C. albicans, with MIC values ranging from 4-8 µg/mL, whereas they exhibited weak or no antibacterial effects. This study expands the structural diversity of lindenane-type sesquiterpenoids and offers new antifungal lead scaffolds from a natural source.