Wenlan Duan's research while affiliated with Yunnan University and other places

Two new sesquiterpenoids, isocyperotundone (1) and 1,4-epoxy-4-hydroxy-4,5-seco-guain-11-en-5-one (2), together with 6 known sesquiterpenoids, cyperotundone (3), cyperenoic acid (4), sugetriol triacetate (5), cyperusol A 3 (6), cyperusol A 2 (7), and cyperusol A 1 (8), were isolated from the methanol extract of the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and 1-dimensional (1D) and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to establish the structures of all the compounds. All the compounds were tested for activity on nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF- κB) signaling. Compounds 1-7 exhibited inhibitory activity on tumor necrosis factor- α-induced activation of the NF- κB pathway, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 34.5 to 73.7 μmol/L.