CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS WITH ANTISEPSIS ACTIVITYFROM THE RHIZOMES OF Polygonatum odoratum

摘要

Polygonatum odoratum (Liliaceae) is widely distributed in the central and southwest areas of China. Its rhizome, also called “Yuzhu,” is a famous traditional Chinese medicine and health food and is used as a nutritious tonic and remedy to treat lung disease and upset stomach and improve insulin resistance and diabetes [1, 2]. Previous studies on this plant only reported the isolation of the steroid saponins [3], furostanol glycosides [4], dipeptides [5], quercitol [6], and diosgenin [7]. But no other consituents have been separated from P. odoratum. In continuing our research on bioactive compounds from Polygonatum plants, we isolated four known methyl-homoisoflavanones 1–4 and one known 9,19-cyclolart triterpenoid (5) from the rhizomes extract of P. odoratum. This paper describes the isolation and structural characteristics of these compounds. The antisepsic activities of compounds 2–5 are also discussed.