One new ribonucleotide, 5'-(3''-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl)-3'-deoxyadenosine (1), and 14 known compounds (2-15) were isolated from an ethanol extract of Cordyceps militaris. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined from 1D and 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HMBC, HMQC and NOESY) and HR-ESI-MS spectra, and results were compared with data from the literature. The effects of all isolated compounds were measured on NF-κB activation, with compound 2 exhibiting significant inhibitory activity against TNF-α-induced NF-κB reporter gene expression in HeLa cells from 3 to 100 μM.
Keywords: Cordyceps militaris; nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); ribonucleotide.