Bioactive ent-kaurane diterpenoids from Isodon serra.

Nine 7,20-epoxy-ent-kaurane diterpenoids (15-acetylmegathyrin B, serrin E, 14β-hydroxyrabdocoestin A, serrin F, serrin G, 11-epi-rabdocoestin A, serrin H, serrin I, and 15-acetylenanderianin N), along with seven known ones, were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configuration of 15-acetylmegathyrin B was determined by signal-crystal X-ray diffraction. All of these compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, SW480). Serrin F, rabdocoestin B and 1α,11β-dihydroxy-1α,11β-acetonide-7α,20-epoxy-ent-kaur-16-en-15-one showed cytotoxic activities against all cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 0.7 to 4.6 μM; serrin F also strongly inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Otherwise, 14β-hydroxyrabdocoestin A, serrins H and I, as well as enanderianin N and megathyrin B, also exhibited inhibitory effects towards NO production, while no cytotoxicity against five cell lines was detected.