All over the world, there is an increasing interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its high number of medicinal plants. TCM plants are investigated by modern scientific techniques in order to identify pharmacologically relevant bioactive constituents and to develop new therapeutic options. The genus Lonicera including the species Lonicera hypoglauca Miquel is commonly used in TCM. Main indications of this drug are the flu, upper respiratory infections and tonsillitis. The aim of this work was the isolation and identification of potentially bioactive compounds from extracts of the upper parts (stems and leaves) of L. hypoglauca, using different chromatographic methods for isolation, and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) as well nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) for structure elucidation. A series of three new compounds was isolated and identified as isomeric saturated C32 -fatty acids, each of them possessing five hydroxyl groups two of which were acetylated. Furthermore, a C34-fatty acid also possessing five hydroxyl groups two of which were acetylated was isolated. With the spectroscopic methods used in this study, it was impossible to determine the exact position of the functional groups in the molecules. Further mass spectrometric analyses after derivatization of the compounds might allow a full structure determination. Apart from these new constituents the biflavonoids cupressuflavone, 3‘-methoxycupressuflavone and 3‘,3‘‘‘-dimethoxycupressuflavone were isolated with a purity > 95% and can now be used for pharmacological testing. Furthermore, the coumarin scopoletin, a compound frequently occurring in the plant kingdom, was identified in L. hypoglauca for the first time. |