Chemical constituents and biological activities of the whole plant of <i>Cuscuta chinensis</i> Lam

A total of twenty-one compounds were obtained from the whole plant of <i>Cuscuta chinensis</i> Lam. The compounds' structures were identified as 3-hydroxy-<i>N</i>-phenethylpropanamide (<b>1</b>), (+)-pinoresinol-<i>O</i>-<i>β</i>-D- glucopyranoside (<b>2</b>), simplexoside (<b>3</b>), (+)-pinoresinol (<b>4</b>), scopoletin (<b>5</b>), (-)-loliolide (<b>6</b>), <i>N</i>-<i>trans</i>-feruloyltyramine (<b>7</b>), (+)-syringaresinol (<b>8</b>), medioresinol (<b>9</b>), 3,4-dehydrotheaspirone (<b>10</b>), 2-ethoxy-1<i>H</i>-pyrimidine-4,6-dione (<b>11</b>), ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate(<b>12</b>), hydroquinone (<b>13</b>), vanillic acid (<b>14</b>), <i>β</i>-daucosterol (<b>15</b>), methyl 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoate (<b>16</b>), roseoside (<b>17</b>), vomifoliol (<b>18</b>), pyrocatechol (<b>19</b>), <i>E</i>-<i>p</i>-coumaric acid (<b>20</b>), <i>Z</i>-<i>p</i>-hydroxy-cinnamic acid (<b>21</b>). Among them, ten compounds (<b>1</b>,<b>3</b>,<b>5</b>,<b>6</b>,<b>10</b>,<b>11</b>,<b>16</b>,<b>17</b>,<b>18</b>,<b>19</b>) were isolated from this plant for the first time, while compound <b>1</b> was isolated as an undescribed natural compound. Moreover, the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts indicated potential bioactivity, and compound <b>2</b> showed certain anti-inflammatory activity. This study provides a scientific basis for elucidating the composites and activity of <i>C. chinensis</i>.