Seven pyrrole alkaloids, three of which are novel (phlebopines A–C (1–3)), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the edible mushroom Phlebopus portentosus. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data. All the isolated compounds were tested for their neuroprotective properties and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibition activities. Compound 7 displayed remarkable neuroprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced neuronal-cell damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

One new cassane diterpene possessing an unusual N bridge between C-19 and C-20 named caesalsappanin R (1), as well as another new diterpene caesalsappanin S (2), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia sappanwith methanol extract. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and examined alongside existing data from prior studies. Their biological activities were profiled by their antiplasmodial activity.

In this study, an improved UPLC-MS (Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) method for simultaneously quantifying twelve major components belonging to two chemical types was developed and validated, and was applied to quantitatively compare the quality of sulfur-fumigated Astragali Radix of different durations and of the fresh reference sample. The results showed that the contents of triterpenes astragaloside III and astragaloside IV decreased moderately, while the flavonoids calycosin, formononetin, and 7,2′-dihydroxy-3′,4′-dimethoxyisoflavane decreased significantly. The corresponding flavonoid glycosides increased accordingly, which indicated the occurrence of chemical transformation of flavonoids and glycosides in the process of sulfur-fumigation. These transformations were further confirmed by the synthesis of flavonoid glycosides under simulated sulfur-fumigation circumstances. Furthermore, the sulfur-fumigated duration varied in proportion with the contents of compounds 7, 11, and 12. These results suggest that the established method was precise, accurate and sensitive enough for the global quality evaluation of sulfur-fumigated Astragali Radix. Further, sulfur-fumigation not only changes the proportions of bioactive components, but also causes chemical transformation in Astragali Radix.

Cassane-type diterpenes are main bioactive constituents of Caesalpinia minax HANCE. As a part of our ongoing chemical investigation of C. minax, two new degradative cassane-type diterpenes, named caesalpins I (1) and J (2), were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the seeds of C. minax. The structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic analysis.

Four new meroterpenoids, Clavilactone M-P, possessing novel aminoglycoside moiety (1–4) and a 10-membered carbocycle fused with an α,β-epoxy-γ-lactone, were isolated from Clitocybe clavipes, a basidiomycete. Their structures with absolute configurations were determined by extensive analysis of their spectroscopic data, and the ECD method. All the isolated compounds (1–4) were evaluated for their antitumor activity against three human cancer cell lines using the MTT assay. Compound 1 and 2 exhibited a significant suppression of cell viability in the Hela (IC₅₀ = 22.8 and 19.7 μM) cell line.

A series of novel oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside derivatives have been designed and synthesized. Biological evaluation has indicated that some of the synthesized compounds exhibit moderate to good activity against H₂O₂-induced injury in rat myocardial cells (H9c2). Particularly, derivative 28-N-isobutyl ursolic amide 3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (8a) exhibited a greater protective effect than the positive control oleanolic acid 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, indicating that it possesses a great potential for further development as a cardiovascular disease modulator by structural modification.