Bioactive flavanes from the seeds of Areca catechu L.

A novel flavane derivative (<b>1</b>) was isolated from the seeds of <i>Areca catechu</i> L., together with six known biogenetically related flavane analogues (<b>2-7</b>). Their chemical structures were elucidated by a combination of high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), as well as one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses. Compound <b>1</b> is a rare naturally occurring isopentenyl-substituted flavane. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial potentials. Notably, compounds <b>2</b>, <b>4</b> and <b>5</b> exhibited significant antioxidant activities, while compounds <b>4</b> and <b>5</b> showed potent and broad-spectrum antibacterial activities.