Atramacronins A - P, eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid dimers from Atractylodes macrocephala with anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activities

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. is a plant from Compositae family. Its rhizome is used for both medicinal and edible purposes in China. In this study, thirteen distinctive rearranged 9(8→7)-abeo-eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid dimers, atramacronins A-M (1-13), three eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid dimers, atramacronins N - P (14 - 16), along with two known meroterpenoid, atrachinenin G (17) and Atrachinenin I (18), were obtained from Atractylodes macrocephala. Their structures were elucidated via various spectroscopic analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1, 4 - 7, 9, and 10 demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against Hep3B, HepG2, and Huh7 cell lines with the IC₅₀ values ranging from 3.71 to 13.99 μM.