Rhododendron formosanum is an endemic species distributed in the central mountains of Taiwan. In this study, the biological activities of major procyanidins isolated from the leaf extract of R. formosanum were investigated. Four compounds, including two procyanidin dimers, procyanidin A1 (1) and B3 (2), and two procyanidin trimmers, procyanidin C4 (4) and cinnamtannin D1 (5), were isolated and identified on the basis of spectroscopic data. The structure of a new procyanidin dimer, rhodonidin A (3), was elucidated by 2D-NMR, CD spectrum and MS. The procyanidin trimmers and rhodonidin A are reported for the first time in Ericaceae. The biological activities of these procyanidins were evaluated using anti-bacterial and anti-oxidative assays. Only the new compound 3 demonstrated strong anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus at an MIC value of 4 μg/mL. All compounds showed pronounced antioxidant activities and the activities are enhanced as the amount of OH groups in procyanidins increased. In conclusion, the pleiotropic effects of procyanidins isolated from the leaves of R. formosanum can be a source of promising compounds for the development of future pharmacological applications.
Keywords: anti-bacterial; antioxidant; cinnamtannin D1; procyanidin A1; procyanidin B3; procyanidin C4; rhodonidin A.