Study on the Antioxidant and Anti-Myocardial Fibrosis Effects of a Phenylpropanoid Compound (Xanthiumnolic C) Derived from <i>Schisandra sphenanthera</i>

Myocardial fibrosis serves as a fundamental pathology for the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases, characterized primarily by excessive proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix components. Although <i>Schisandra sphenanthera</i> fruit exhibits diverse pharmacological properties, its therapeutic potential for myocardial fibrosis remains unexplored. In this study, a phenylpropanoid compound designated W-23 (Xanthiumnolic C) was isolated from <i>Schisandra sphenanthera</i>. Structural elucidation was achieved through mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and carbon spectrum analysis. The antioxidant and antimyocardial fibrosis activities of Xanthiumnolic C were evaluated in vitro. Xanthiumnolic C demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. In a cellular model of myocardial fibrosis, administration of Xanthiumnolic C significantly suppressed the expression of Vimentin (Vim), α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA), and proteins associated with the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, while concurrently downregulating levels of type I and III collagen. Furthermore, Xanthiumnolic C reduced the mRNA expression of <i>Acta2, FN, Col 1 1a1, Vim, MMP-2</i>, and <i>MMP-9</i>. Collectively, these effects ameliorated myocardial fibrosis, suggesting that Xanthiumnolic C holds promise as a potential therapeutic agent for antimyocardial fibrotic drug development.