Sesquiterpene chromones from Ferula fukanensis and their nitric oxide production inhibitory effects

Five new sesquiterpene chromone derivatives, fukanefurochromones A-E (1-5), were isolated from a 80% aqueous methanol extract of the roots of Ferula fukanensis. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, especially heteronuclear multiple-bond connectivity (HMBC) and high-resolution MS. The sesquiterpene chromone derivatives inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO Synthase (iNOS) gene expression by a murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW 264.7), which was activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and recombinant mouse interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma).