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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, has high morbidity and mortality rates, and its prognosis is poor. The treatment options of HCC are limited by the lack of effective chemotherapy. Therefore, looking for effective drugs with little toxicity is very urgent. The aim of this study was to search for small molecule targeting on liver cancer from Juglans mandshurica, which has been used to treat cancers for a long time in China. Under the guide of anti-hepatoma activity, a new coumarin (1), together with eight reported analogs (2‒9), was isolated from the 75% EtOH extract. The structures of these compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of 1 was established by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments on two liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B) showed that compounds 2 and 5 had moderate antitumor activities on both cell lines. And further studies of antitumor mechanisms by the observation of morphological changes and Western blot analyses exhibited that induction of apoptosis might be a possible way that inhibited cell growth.

Two new alkaloids named (3R)-3,5-bis(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridinone (1) and 1,5-dimethyl-6-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-3(2H)-one (2), together with two known compounds (7'R)-N-feruloyl normetanephrine (3) and N-trans-feruloyl tyramine (4) were isolated from the air-dried aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea L. Their structures and configurations were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-MS techniques. In addition, compounds 1-4 were tested for in vitro cytotoxic activities against human lung (K562 and A549) and breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-435) cancer cell lines.

Two new glycosides suspensaside C (1) and 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-jacaranone-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), together with four known compounds suspensaside A (3), rengynic acid-1'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), forsythoside A (5), and rengynic acid (6), were isolated from the fruits of Forsythia suspense (Thunb.) Vahl. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR analyses and HR-ESI-MS. All isolates were tested for their cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines (A549, Colo-205, Hep-3B, HL60, and KB). Compound 3 exhibited cytotoxicity against HL-60, Hep-3B, and A549 cancer cell lines.

One new sesquiterpene, (1α,4aβ,8aα)-1-isopropanol-4a-methyl-8-methylenedecahydronaphthalene (1), with one new phenylpropanoid, threo-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-ethoxypropan-1-ol (2), along with four known phenylpropanoids were isolated from Crataegus pinnatifida. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR analyses, and HR-ESI-MS. The antithrombotic activity in vitro of all isolates was assayed, and only compound 1 exhibited potent antithrombotic activity by inhibiting platelet aggregation in rat plasma by 81.4% at 1 mg/ml.

Two new steroidal saponins, named anemarnoside A and anemarnoside B, along with three known compounds, timosaponin J, timosaponin B II, and timosaponin B, have been isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides. Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques (IR, MS, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR) and by comparison with published data.