Phytochmical investigation of roots of Actinidia chinensisPlanch. led to the isolation triterpenoids 1 - 16, including a new compound 2α,3α,23,24-tetrahydroxyursa-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (1). Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI mass spectrometry, and by comparison with the literatures. The cytotoxicities of triterpenoids 1 - 16 against a panel of cultured human cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, MCF-7, SK-OV-3, and HeLa) were evaluated. The new compound 1 exhibited moderate antitumor activities with IC values of 19.62 ± 0.81, 18.86 ± 1.56, 45.94 ± 3.62, 62.41 ± 2.29, and 28.74 ± 1.07 μm, respectively. The experiment data might be available to explain the use of roots of A. chinensis to treat various cancers in traditional Chinese medicine.

Five chromone glycosides were isolated from the water-soluble portions of 70% EtOH extract of the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata, including two new chromone glycosides 1 and 2. The structures of the chromone glycosides were identified as (3'S)-3'-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosylhamaudol (1), (2'S)-4'-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranosylvisamminol (2), 3'-O-glucopyranosylhamaudol (3), 4'-O-β-d-glucopyranosylvisamminol (4), and 4'-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (5) on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configurations of the new compounds were elucidated by the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation and acid hydrolysis. The cytotoxic activities of the glycosides 1 - 5 against three human cancer cell lines (PC-3, SK-OV-3, and H460) were evaluated. The result showed that compounds 1 - 5 had weak cytotoxic activities against the human cancer cell lines with IC values in the range of 48.54 ± 0.80 - 94.25 ± 1.45 μm.

One new flavonoid glycoside (1) and one new triterpenoid cinnamate (2) were isolated from Nervilia fordii. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by extensive NMR and HRESIMS to be 7-O-β-d-glucopyranosylapigenin-8-C-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside and 24(S/β)-dihydrocycloeucalenol-3-(Z)-p-hydroxycinnamate, respectively.

From the water-soluble extract of the aerial part of herbal plant Nervilia fordii, three new cycloartane glycosides, named as nervisides A (1), B (2), and C (3), were isolated. Their structures were elucidated through a combination of spectroscopic analysis and hydrolysis. At the same time, the new compounds were tested for their cytotoxicities in vitro against human tumor cell lines (CNE, Hep-2, and HepG2) using MTT method.

Five new cycloartane glycosides, nervisides D–H (1–5), were isolated from the AcOEt‐ and H2O‐soluble portions of the 90% EtOH extract of the aerial part of the plant Nervilia fordii. The structures of the isolated glycosides were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including HR‐ESI‐MS and NMR data. The isolated nervisides D–H were evaluated for the cytotoxic activity in vitro against human‐tumor cell lines (CNE, Hep‐2 and HepG2) with the MTT method.