Benzofuran compounds from Ligularia caloxantha / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the benzofuran compounds from roots and rhizomes of Ligularia caloxantha, which is a folk medicine used in the Naxi Nationality in Yunnan Province. Methods Compounds were separated and purified by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Results Eighit compounds are isolated from ethanolic extracts of the roots and rhizomes. They were identified as euparin (Ⅰ), 6-methoxy-euparin (Ⅱ), 4, 5-dimethoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (Ⅲ), 2-acetyl-5, 6-dimethyoxybenzofuran (Ⅳ), 4-hydroxyacetophenone (Ⅴ), 2-isopropenyl-5, 6-dimethoxy-2, 3-hydrocumaran (Ⅵ), 8?-hydroxy-7(11)-eremophilen-12, 8?-olide (Ⅶ), lupeol (Ⅷ). Conclusion All the eight compounds were obtained from L. caloxantha for the first time as benzofurans. Compounds Ⅰ and Ⅱ are two major ones with insecticide and insect food refusal-induced activities. That is the relative reason of L. caloxantha used for folk anti-insect.