New penolic derivatives from the stems of Lagerstroemia indica

Lagerstroemia indica (Lythraceae) is a decorative shrub with distribution in Korea, Japan, and China. In Korea, its roots have been used as Korean traditional medicine as astringent, detoxicant and diuretic. Previous phytochemical studies from this plant have revealed the presence of alkaloids, triterpenes, and flavonoids. In our continuing search for bioactive constituents from Korean medicinal plants, we investigated 80% MeOH extract of the stems of L. indica. Column chromatographic purification of the CHCl₃ and EtOAc soluble fractions resulted in the isolation of five new phenolic derivatives (1-5), along with ten known phenolics (6-15). The structures of new ones were determined on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and chemical means. We are studying the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of the isolates for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 cells.

Keywords: Lagerstroemia indica, Lythraceae, Phenolic, NO