Rhynchanthus beesianus (Zingiberaceae)
has been an important food spice and vegetable in southern China.
Fifteen phenolic compounds (1–15)
including three new diarylheptanoids, rhynchanines A–C (1–3) and one new phenylpropanoid, 4-O-methylstroside B (9), were isolated from R. beesianus rhizomes. The structures of new compounds
were elucidated by comprehensive analyses through NMR, HRMS technique,
acid hydrolysis, and Mosher’s reaction. Among them, compound 5 is the first isolated natural product and its NMR data are
reported. Most of the isolated compounds, especially 3–6 and 8, showed significant antioxidant
activities on DPPH, ABTS+ radical scavenging, and FRAP
assays. Furthermore, the antioxidant phenolic compounds were evaluated
for their cytoprotective capacity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG-2 cells. Compounds 3 and 5 could significantly inhibit reactive oxygen species
production, and compounds 3, 5, and 6 could remarkably prevent the cell apoptosis. Then, the R. beesianus rhizome, which contained phenolic compounds,
might serve as a functional food for potential application on preventing
oxidative stress-connected diseases.