Phytochemical study of Illicium angustisepalum and its biological activities

Sixteen compounds, including two new natural products (1 and 2), were obtained from the twigs of Illicium angustisepalum. The structures were elucidated based on NMR, MS, IR data and optical rotation values. Compounds 4, 5, 6 and 8 displayed moderate antibacterial activities against clinical isolates; compounds 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15 protected neural cells against oxidative stress; and compounds 10 and 14 exhibited anti-acetylcholinesterase activity.

The isolation of sixteen compounds (116) from the twigs of Illicium angustisepalum was reported, including the new structures of 3-O-benzoyl-myrcenediol (1) and 3,6-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one (2). The isolated compounds were evaluated in a battery of in vitro bioassay models for cytotoxic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities.59