Estrogenic activity of phenylpropanoids from Sarcomelicope megistophylla and structure determination of a new norneolignan.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the neutral extract of the bark of Sarcomelicope megistophylla resulted in the isolation of the new nor-neolignan sarcomeginal ( 1), together with the known ailanthoidol ( 2) and (+/-)-seco-isolariciresinol ( 3). The structure of 1 was determined by spectroscopic means. Estrogenic activity of the isolated compounds was tested using estrogen receptor-positive MCF7 and estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-231 human mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines. Compound 3 displayed significant estrogenic activity.