Moldavica acid A, a new salicylic acid derivative from Dracocephalum moldavica

In this paper, we present the discovery of a novel salicylic acid derivative, moldavica acid A (1), and a new natural dibenzo[b,f]oxepin, moldavica acid B (2), together with four known phenylpropionic acids (3-6) and protocatechuic acid (7) that were isolated from Dracocephalum moldavica L. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic methods, including infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. Compound 1 is the first example of salicylic acid linking a carboxylated alpha-pyrone via an ethyl bridge. Beyond expanding the knowledge of the chemical diversity of D. moldavica, both compounds 1 and 2 were shown to upregulate the expression of Kruppel-like factor 2, which could serve as a prospective therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis. [GRAPHICS]

Automated summary

This study discovered a new salicylic acid derivative and a new dibenzo[b,f]oxepin, as well as isolated four known phenylpropionic acids and protocatechuic acid from Dracocephalum moldavica L. The structures of these compounds were determined using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. Both new compounds were found to upregulate the expression of Kruppel-like factor 2, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis treatment.