Astragalus ernestii has been used as a substitute for Radix Astragali (Huang-Qi) in southwest China. To better understand the chemical rationale for the medicinal usage, the phytochemistry of A. ernestii was recently studied. As a result, a novel aurone-phenylpropanoid adduct astrernestin (1), together with five known phenoloids calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), 4,4'-dimethoxy-3'-hydroxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxylignan-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), syringaresinol-4-O-β-D-monoglucoside (4), hedyotol D 4''-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5) and trifolirhizin (6), were isolated from the roots of A. ernestii. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and optical rotation calculation.

Astragalus englerianus is a close relative of the traditional Chinese medicine plant Radix Astragali (Huang-qi) and is mainly distributed in Yunnan. It has been traditionally used as a substitute of "Huang-qi" for reducing fatigue and enhancing immunity by local folks. A phytochemical study of the methanol extract of the roots led to the isolation of three new flavonoids including one aurone (1) and two chalcones (2 and 3), as well as two known flavonoids (4 and 5). Their structures were elucidated based on the analyses of extensive spectroscopic data and comparison of their physicochemical properties. This is the first report on the occurrence of β-hydroxydihydrochalcone, 2',5'-dioxygenchalcones, and 2',5'-dioxygenaurone in the genus Astragalus. All the isolated compounds were tested in vitro for their schistosomicidal and antioxidant activities. Compounds 2 and 4 showed schistosomicidal activities with worm mortality rates of 100 % within 12 h in a drug-containing (0.70 and 0.77 mM, respectively) RPMI 1640 medium. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited antioxidant activities in 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl free radical scavenging assays, with IC50 values of 35.9 ± 1.1 and 12.2 ± 1.1 µM, respectively.

Hispidanins A-D (1-4), four unprecedented asymmetric dimeric diterpenoids, were obtained from the rhizomes of Isodon hispida. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, MS, UV, IR), as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Hispidanin B showed significant cytotoxicities against tumor cell lines SGC7901, SMMC7721, and K562, with IC50 values of 10.7, 9.8, and 13.7 μM, respectively.

Two new labdane-type diterpenes (adenanthic acids A and B; 1 and 2, resp.) and three new labdane diterpene glycosides (adenanthosides A-C; 3-5, resp.) were isolated from the roots of Isodon adenantha, together with 23 known constituents including seven diterpenoids (6-12), eight triterpenoids (13-20), one lignan glycoside (21), six steroids (22-27), and one ceramide (28). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 2D-NMR techniques. Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities of the samples were measured by the MTT method and the filter paper disc agar diffusion method. But none of them showed significant activities.

Two new labdane diterpenoids, s-trans-8(17),12E,14-labdatrien-20-oic acid (1), s-trans-12E,14-labdadien-20,8β-olide (2), along with 10 known compounds, hinokiol (3), ursonic acid (4), 2α,3α-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (5), 2α,3β,23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (6), ethyl 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactate (7), ethyl rosmarinate (8), (Z,E)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethenyl caffeic ester (9), tridecanoic acid (10), β-sitosterol (11) and daucosterol (12), were isolated from the 70% acetone extract of the rhizomes of Isodon yuennanensis. Their structures were elucidated based on the analyses of extensive spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties.