Xuetonlignans E-K, unusual spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans with hepatoprotective activity from the roots of Kadsura heteroclita

Wei Su; Xudong Zhou; Hanwen Yuan; Gang Fu; Shiqi Liu; Qingling Xie; Yupei Yang; Kang Zhou; Yang Liu; Bin Li; Wei Wang

doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2025.114594

Xuetonlignans E-K, unusual spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans with hepatoprotective activity from the roots of Kadsura heteroclita

Phytochemistry. 2025 Jun 19:239:114594. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2025.114594. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Wei Su¹, Xudong Zhou¹, Hanwen Yuan¹, Gang Fu¹, Shiqi Liu¹, Qingling Xie¹, Yupei Yang¹, Kang Zhou¹, Yang Liu¹, Bin Li², Wei Wang³

Affiliations

¹ TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, People's Republic of China.
² TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: libin@hnucm.edu.cn.
³ TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: wangwei402@hotmail.com.

PMID: 40543642
DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2025.114594

Abstract

Further phytochemical investigation on the roots of Kadsura heteroclita led to the isolation of sixteen spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, including six previously undescribed ones named xuetonlignans E-J (1-6), and one being isolated for the first time from a natural source, xuetonlignan K (7). The structures and absolute configurations of 1-7 were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR techniques, as well as calculated ECD spectra. Additionally, the absolute configurations of 1 and 5 were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The X-ray structures of the known compounds 13 and 14 were reported for the first time, and the misassigned structure of schizanrin G was corrected. Most of the isolated compounds were tested for their hepatoprotective effects against H₂O₂-induced damage in HepG2 cells. Notably, compounds 6, 11, 13, and 15 showed apparent protective effects at 20 μM, and the cell viability of 15 was greater than that of the positive drug (bicyclol).

Keywords: H(2)O(2)-Induced damage; Hepatoprotective activity; Kadsura; Kadsura heteroclita; Schisandraceae; Spirobenzofuranoid dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans; Tujia ethnomedicine.