Minor phenolic constituents of the Anemarrhenae Rhizoma

A homoisoflavanone, 7,4'-dihydroxyhomoisoflavanone (1) and a flavanone, (2S)-7,4'-dihydroxy-5- methoxyflavanone (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides, together with 4,4'- dihydroxychalcon (3), 2'-O-methylphlorethin (4), 1,3-bis-di-p-hydroxyphenyl-4-penten-1-one (5), and 2,4'- dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (6) on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses including 1Dand 2D- NMR techniques as well as by comparison of their data with the published values. Compounds 1 - 4 were isolated for the first time from this plant source. Among isolates, compound 2 exhibited moderate inhibitory effect on the differentiation of pre-adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells.