A novel phenylethanoid glycoside, 3'-O-methyl isocrenatoside (1), along with two known compounds, methyl caffeate (2) and protocatechuic aldehyde (3), were isolated from the fresh whole plant of Orobanche cernua Loefling. All the isolated compounds (1-3) were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including IR, MS and NMR data. The cytotoxic activities of these compounds were evaluated. Results showed that 3'-O-methyl isocrenatoside (1) and methyl caffeate (2) exhibited significant cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 71.89, 36.97 μg/mL and 32.32, 34.58 μg/mL against the B16F10 murine melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma cell lines, respectively.
Keywords: Orobanchaceae; Orobanche cernua Loefling; cytotoxicity; phenylethanoid glycoside.