Chemical Composition from the Leaves of Lindera fragrans Oliv.

Background: One hundred known species belong to the genus Lindera (Lauraceae) and rich in chemical structure types. The branch leaves of Lindera fragrans Oliv. show the special curative effect of treating gastroenteritis and gastric ulcer. There are not comparatively detailed reports carried on studying the chemical composition and bioactivity of L. fragrans. Objective: This paper reports the chemical investigation and biological evaluation of the L. fragrans. Materials and Methods: The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate soluble part of L. fragrans was isolated using chromatographic methods, and the structures of these compounds were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method was used to determine the antitumor activity of the isolated compounds. Results: Twelve compounds were isolated from the leaves of L. fragrans and classified as six alkaloids (1-6), three flavonoids (7-9), two aromatics (10 and 11), and one anthraquinone (12). The study of antitumor activity showed that compounds 3-5 had weak antitumor activities with the half maximal inhibitory values ranging from 71.97 to 94.69 mu M. Conclusion: All of these compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time and compounds 3-6, 8, and 9 were first reported from the genus Lindera. Compounds 3-5 exhibited weak antitumor activities.