Thirteen phenones were obtained from the 70% ethanol extract of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical methods and spectral data. Among them, compound 1 was identified as a new compound, and compounds 5 and 13 were obtained from genus Paeonia for the first time. The inhibitory effects of isolated compounds (1-12) on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages were evaluated, and NO production was suppressed significantly by compound 7.
Keywords: Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews; nitric oxide; phenones.