9, 10-Dihydrophenanthrene derivatives from Pholidota yunnanensis and scavenging activity on DPPH free radical.

Three new 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene derivatives named phoyunnanins A-C, together with six known 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene constituents, 4,4',7,7'-tetrahydroxy-2,2'-dimethoxy-9,9',10,10'-tetrahydro-1,1'-biphenanthrene (4), lusianthridin (5), eulophiol (6), 2,4,7-trihydroxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (7) and imbricatin (8), were isolated from the 60% ethanolic extract of air-dried whole plant of Pholidota yunnanensis Rolfe. The structures of phoyunnanins A-C were established as 6-[2'-(3',3''-dihydroxy-5'-methoxybibenzy)]-4,7-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (1), 6-[6'-(trans-3',3''-dihydroxy-5'-methoxystilbeny)]-4,7-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (2) and 4,4',7,7'-tetrahydroxy-2,2'-dimethoxy-9,9',10,10'-tetrahydro-1,6'-biphenanthrene (3), respectively, on the basis of the spectroscopic analysis. All eight compounds (1-8) were found to show the DPPH free radical scavenging activity with EC(50) from 8.8 to 55.9 microM.