New phenolic acids from Salvia yunnanensis C.H.Wright

Two new phenolic acids, ethyl pro-lithospermate (1), n-butyl pro-lithospermate (2) were isolated from Salvia yunnanensis C.H.Wright, along with nineteen known compounds (3–21). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectrometry and by comparing their physical and spectroscopic data to the literature. Among them, compounds 11, 12 and 14–16 were firstly isolated from S. yunnanensis C.H.Wright. Some of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotection. Compounds 10–12 showed significant neuroprotective effects in PC12 cells and compounds 1, 4–7 displayed moderate neuroprotective effects.