Four new rearranged eudesmane sesquiterpenoids, Lyciiterpenoids A-D (1-4), together with four known compounds (5-8) were isolated from the aqueous extract of Lycii Cortex. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations of compounds 1-4 were determined by the quantum chemical ECD calculations. The absolute configuration of 1 was further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic data analysis. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, and A549). However, no significant activities were detected even with a concentration up to 100 μM.
Keywords: ECD calculations; Lycii Cortex; X-ray diffraction; aqueous extract; cytotoxicity; sesquiterpenoids.