A new phenylpropanoid (1), a new alkaloid (11), and a new natural polyacetylene (17), together with nine phenolic compounds (2-10), five alkaloids (12-16), three polyacetylenes (18-20), three triterpenoidal saponins (21-23), one phenylethanoid glycoside (24), and three hexyl glycosides (25-27) with previous known structures, were isolated from the roots of Codonopsis lanceolata. All of the isolates 1-27 were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages and cell viability in A2780 human ovarian cancer cells. Among the isolates, lancemasides A and B have a significant inhibitory effect on the production of NO in RAW264.7 cells (IC50 values < 50 μM). In A2780 cells, lancemaside A exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect on cell viability. This is the first report on the pharmacological activities of lancemaside B (22).
Keywords: Campanulaceae; Codonopsis lanceolate; Lancemasides; Nitric oxide; Ovarian cancer cells.