Lignans of Linum flavum var. compactum

Abstract

A new dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan 7,6′-dihydroxybursehernin, together with six known lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol, α-peltatin, β-peltatin, 5- methoxypodophyllotoxin) were isolated from the methanol extracts of Linum flavum var. compactum. The enantiomeric analysis of pinoresinol and lariciresinol isolated from the species, which are upstream lignans in the lignan biosynthetic pathway, indicated that they are not optically pure, which is in accordance with our recent findings on lignans occurring in other plant species.