A new derivative with 6/7 ring skeleton obtained from Callistephus chinensis flowers with anti-hepatic fibrosis activity

The flowers of Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees, the only species in the genus Callistephus within the family Asteraceae, exhibit various pharmacological activities. From the ethanol extract, two compounds were identified: a known compound named callistephus A and a new derivative, callistephus G. Their structures were elucidated through 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and mass spectrometry. In addition, we also evaluated the anti-hepatic fibrosis activity of the new compound callistephus G, showing that callistephus G can markedly suppress the growth of LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1 at concentrations of 1-6 μM. Therefore, this compound is predicted to be a potential candidate drug for the therapeutic intervention of liver fibrosis.