Six diterpenoid alkaloids, namely, pachycentine (1), deacetylswinanine A (2), siwanine A (3), tatsiensine (4), deacetyltatsiensine (5), and 6-deoxydeltamine (6), were isolated from a China-specific Delphinium plant (family Ranunculaceae), Delphinium pachycentrum Hemsl. Their structures were established via detailed spectroscopic analyses, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Pachycentine (1) is a previously undescribed hetisine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloid, and compounds 5 and 6 were synthetic intermediates newly identified as natural products. In addition, compounds 2-4 were isolated from this species for the first time. The chemotaxonomic significance of all the isolates was summarized. Moreover, the new compound was evaluated for its potential anti-inflammatory effect using LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Keywords: Delphinium pachycentrum Hemsl; Ranunculaceae; anti-inflammatory; diterpenoid alkaloid; pachycentine.