Structurally Diverse Sesquiterpenoids from Chloranthus henryi var. hupehensis and Their Anti‐inflammatory Activities

Comprehensive Summary In this study, 27 new sesquiterpenoids: twenty monomers and seven dimers, with diverse structures, along with one known chlorajaponilide F ( 25 ) were isolated from the aerial parts of Chloranthus henryi var. hupehensis. Structurally, chlorahupetolides A ( 1 ) and B ( 2 ), two eudesmane‐type merosesquiterpenoids with an undescribed C 18 carbon framework, and chlorahupetene E ( 18 ) are the first example of dimers comprising two eudesmane sesquiterpenoids bridged by a four‐membered ring in the Chloranthus . Their structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and X‐ray diffraction analysis. In the RAW264.7 macrophages model of inflammation induced by LPS, compounds 12 , 18 , and 25 significantly reduced NO production in a dose dependent manner and without cytotoxicity. The mRNA expression of COX‐2 was considerably inhibited by treatments with compounds 12 , 18 , and 25 .