Glycyrrhiza Chemical Composition And Antitumor Activity

Seventeen compounds were isolated from roots of Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim, a Chinese folk medicine .Among them, thirteen compounds' structures were established as (-) -6aR, 11 aR-dihydro-3,9-dimethoxy-6H-benzofuro [3,2c] [l]-benzopyran (homopterocarpin III) ,5.alpha.-stigmastane-3,6-dione (V),stigmast-5-en-3 P -ol O-Si tosterol VI), 7-methoxy-3-(4methoxypheny1)-4H-benzopyran 4-one (4', 7-dimethoxyisoflavone W) , 3 ?-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (betulinic acid VI) , (-)-6aR,llaR-dihydro-3-hydroxy-9-methoxy-6H-benzofuro[3,2c] [1] -benzopyran(medicarpin IX), (s) 2,3- dihydro-7- hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6, 8-bis-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)- 4H-benzopyran-4-one (isoglabrol XI) , (-)-6aR,naRKiihydro-3-hydroxy-9,l(klimethoxy-6H-tenzofuro[3,2c] [1]-benziopyran (10-methoxy-medicarpin XH) ,3-hydroxy-9-methoxy-6H-benzofuro[3,2c][l]benzopyran-6-one (9-methoxycoumestrol XIII), 21 a -hydroxy-3-oxo-oleana-ll, 13(18)-diene-29-oic acid (XIV), 7-hydroxy-3~ (4-methoxyphenyl)- 4H-benzopyran-4-one (formononetin XV), 3 ^ , 21 a-dihydroxy-oleana-11, 13(18)-diene-29-oic acid (macedonic acid XVI) and stigmast-5-en-3 3-D-glucopyranoside (daucosterol XVII) respectively,byspectroscopic methods. Of them, XIV was a new oleanane triterpenoid, V and Xfl were firstly reported in Glycyrrhiza genus, and other tow compounds , Vffl and XVfl were firstly founded in this plant.The antiHepA tumour effects were observed in mice administrated seven compounds of above mentioned, five of them showed significant antiHepA activity . Further investigations are now in progress in our laboratory.