Using combined chromatographic separation techniques, three new triterpenoids named lycomclavatols A-C (1-3), a new natural product, methyl lycernuate-A (4), as well as seven known compounds (5-11), were isolated from the methanol extract of the whole plants of Lycopodium clavatum. Their chemical structures were established based on 1 D/2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic analyses. Among the isolates, compound 1 exhibited inhibitory activity on NO production in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells (IC50 = 36.0 μM). In addition, 1 was cytotoxic against both HepG2 and A549 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 40.7 and 87.0 μM, respectively. Compounds 10 and 11 showed cytotoxicity on only HepG2 and A549 cells, with IC50 values of 91.2 and 57.6 μM, respectively. Our results contribute to understanding more the secondary metabolites produced by L. clavatum and provide a scientific rationale for further investigations of anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects for this valuable medicinal plant.
Keywords: Lycopodium clavatum L.; anti-inflammatory; cytotoxic; triterpenoid.