Isolation and identification of two new compounds from the twigs and leaves of Cephalotaxus fortunei

Two new compounds, namely 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6-methylchromone ( 1 ), and sesquiterpene X ( 6 ), together with 21 known compounds were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Cephalotaxus fortunei Hook. f. The structures of 1–23 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis (1D/2D NMR, HR-ESI–MS and IR) and comparison with literature. The absolute configuration of compound 6 was determined by means of electronic circular dichroism calculation. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of all compounds were assayed in RAW 264.7 cells by assessing lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production. Compounds 1 and 6 exhibited weak effects with percentage inhibitions of 24% and 35.60%, respectively. In addition, compounds 4 , 9 , and 14 have the potential to be developed as therapeutic agents for inflammatory diseases because of their significant anti-inflammatory activities and high content in C. fortunei .