Seven new triterpenoids from the aerial parts of Ilex cornuta and protective effects against H2O2-induced myocardial cell injury

•Seven new triterpenoids (1-7) were isolated from the aerial parts of Ilex cornuta.•All compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods.•Compound 4 had significant cell-protective effect.

Seven new triterpenoids (1-7), together with two known ones (8-9), were isolated from the aerial parts ofIlex cornuta. The leaves of I. cornuta are the major source of “Kudingcha”, a popular herbal tea consumed in China and other countries. The structures of compounds 1-7 were determined as 20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 3β-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (1), 20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 2′-O-acetyl-3β-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (2), 20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 3β-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside-6-O-methyl ester (3), 3β,23-dihydroxy-20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid (4), 23-hydroxy-20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 3β-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (5), 23-hydroxy-20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 3β-O-β-d-glucuronic acid (6), 23-hydroxy-20-epi-urs-12,18-dien-28-oic acid 3β-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside-6-O-methyl ester (7), on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (IR, ESI-MS, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and chemical reactions. Protective effects against H2O2-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury were tested in vitro for compounds 1-9, and the data showed that compound 4 had significant cell-protective effect. Compounds 1-9 did not show significant DPPH radical scavenging activity.

Graphical abstractDownload full-size image