Two new labdane diterpenes, sinoditerpene A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the fruits of Sinopodophyllum emodi, along with two known analogues 3 and 4. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The isolation of compounds 1-4 represents the first report of diterpenes from the genus Sinopodophyllum. The cytotoxic activities of all isolated compounds were evaluated in comparison with 5-fluorouracil against the MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines, towards which 3 showed more potent cytotoxicity.
Keywords: Sinopodophyllum emodi; cytotoxic activity; labdane diterpene.