Three new guaiane sesquiterpene lactones from rhizomes of Curcuma wenyujin

Three new guaiane sesquiterpene lactones (4S)-4-hydroxy-gweicurculactone (1), zedoalactone G (2), and (1R, 4R, 5S, 10S)-zedoalactone B (3), and three known guaiane sesquiterpene lactones, including zedoarolide B (4), zedoalactone B (5), and a new natural product (+)-zedoalactone A (6), were isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. The absolute configuration of 2 was determined via the calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD), whereas the absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were determined via the ECD data of the [Rh₂(OCOCF₃)₄] complex and [Mo₂(OAc)₄] complex, respectively. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1–6 on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages were evaluated. All of them exhibited weak anti-inflammatory activity.