Abstract
Chemical investigation of the red herbal resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis resulted in the isolation of three new configurationally isomeric flavonoids: 6,4′‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐8‐methylflavane (=3,4‐dihydro‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐methoxy‐8‐methyl‐2__H__‐[1]benzopyran‐6‐ol; 1), 5,4′‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐6‐methylflavane (=3,4‐dihydro‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐methoxy‐6‐methyl‐2__H__‐[1]benzopyran‐5‐ol; 2), and 7,4′‐dihydroxy‐5‐ methoxyhomoisoflavane (=3,4‐dihydro‐3‐[(4‐hydroxyphenyl)methyl]‐5‐methoxy‐2__H__‐[1]benzopyran‐7‐ol; 3). Their structures were identified by means of detailed spectral analysis. In addition, thirteen known compounds were isolated from D. cochinchinensis: 7‐hydroxy‐4′‐methoxyflavane (4), 2,4,6‐trimethoxy‐4′‐hydroxydihydrochalcone (5), 2,4‐dimethoxy‐4′‐hydroxydihydrochalcone (6), 7,8‐(methylenedioxy)‐4′‐hydroxyhomoisoflavane (7), 4′,7‐dihydroxy‐8‐methylflavane (8), 2,6‐dimethoxy‐4,4′‐dihydroxydihydrochalcone (9), 2‐methoxy‐4,4′‐dihydroxydihydrochalcone (10), 7‐methoxy‐6,4′‐dihydroxyhomoisoflavane (11), 2‐methoxy‐4,4′‐dihydroxychalcone (12), 4′,7‐dihydroxyflavane (13), 7,4′‐dihydroxyhomoisoflavane (14), 7,4′‐dihydroxyhomoisoflavone (15), and 7,4′‐dihydroxyflavone (16). Compounds 7, 8, 9, 14, and 15 have been isolated for the first time from this type of herbal source.