Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B (Jun 2012)
Natural and unnatural anthraquinones isolated from the ethanol extract of the roots of Knoxia valerianoides
Abstract
Eight new 9,10-anthraquinones (1–8) including three acetonide derivatives of 3-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinones (6–8) were isolated from an ethanol extract of the roots of Knoxia valerianoides. On the basis of chemical transformation reactions of the co-occurring 14 and 15 combined with HPLC–DAD–ESI–MS analysis of the extracts, the previously and newly isolated 2-methoxymethyl- and 2-ethoxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinones (4, 5, and 9–13), as well as the 3-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinone acetonide derivatives (6–8), were shown to be solvolytic artifacts. In the in vitro assays, compound 4 was active to protect hepatocyte (WB-F344) damage.
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