Sesquiterpenoids from Ferula samarkandica.

Ten undescribed sesquiterpenes, ferusamarkins A-J, in addition to eight known analogues were isolated from the roots of Ferula samarkandica Korovin native to Uzbekistan. Their structures were established by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including HRESIMS, NMR, UV and IR data. The absolute configurations were successfully determined based on ECD calculations in combination with single-crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography. Ferusamarkins A-J exhibit fascinating significance in terms of structural diversity, with sesquiterpene types of eudesmane for ferusamarkins A-E, germacrane for ferusamarkin F, guaiane for ferusamarkins G-I and daucane for ferusamarkin J. The results of bioactivity assays indicated that ferusamarkin E displayed anti-inflammatory property by suppressing the release of NO in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells, with an IC50 value of 60.05 ± 5.18 μM.