Chemical constituents from the leaves of Nephrolepis exaltata.

Twenty-one compounds were isolated from the ethanol extract of the leaves of Nephrolepis exaltata (Nephrolepidaceae), including one furan derivative (1), five phenol derivatives (2–6), two megastigmens (7 , 8), one iridoid glycoside (9), nine flavonoids (10–18), and three lignan glycosides (19–21). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods as well as comparison with previously reported data. Among the isolated compounds, phloretic acid (6) was isolated from the specie N. exalata for the first time. Dehydrovomifoliol (7), dehydrololiolide (8), quercitrin (10), kaempferol (11), afzelin (12), quercetin (13), luteolin (14), 3- O -methylquercetin (15), and demethoxymatteucinol (17) were obtained from the genus for the first time while methoxygaertneroside (9), (2S)-5,7,3′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavanone (16), epigallocatechin (18), lanicepside A (19), pinoresinol 4′- O - β -D-glucopyranoside (20), and glochidiobioside (21) were obtained from the family for the first time. • Taxonomic importance of isolated compounds from genus Nephrolepis. • Megastigmane type compounds are reported in the genus Nephrolepis. • Nine flavonoids isolated from the leaves of Nephrolepis exaltata. • Lignans and iridoid glycoside are reported in the Nephrolepidaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]