ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents from Gleditsiae Spina (the thorns of Gleditsia sinensis). Methods: The compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographic techniques, and their chemical structures were confirmed on the basis of spectroscopic analysis by the physicochemical properties. Cytotoxic activity using the MTT colorimetry method was performed to measure the inhibitory effect of the compounds on cell proliferation of HepG2, A-549, and EC109. Results: Three coumarins were obtained from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the 90% ethanolic extract and their structures were identified as scoparone (1), isoscopoletin (2), and 6-amino-7-methoxycoumarin (3). Conclusion: Compound 3 is a novel coumarin named gledisinmarin A. Compounds 1 and 2 are isolated from this plant for the first time. Compound 2 displays the stronger cytotoxicity against A549 cell with an IC50 value of 34.47 μg/mL, while cisplatin with an IC50 value of 11.50 μg/mL as a positive control.