Seven new phenolic compounds from Lavandula angustifolia

Seven new phenolic compounds: lavandunat (1), lavandufurandiol (2), lavandufluoren (3), lavandupyrones A (4) and B (5), and lavandudiphenyls A (6) and B (7), along with five known compounds, 4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl) benzoic acid (8), methyl 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoate (9), 3,4, alpha-trihydroxyl-ethyl phenylpropionate (10), rosmarinic acid (11), and isosalvianolic acid C (12), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the remaining material, which was obtained from Lavandula angustifolia Mill., after the distillation of the essential oil. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis including optical rotation, UV, MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The antioxidant activities of all of the compounds were examined by the 1-1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging test. Compared to vitamin C, new compounds 1-3 and 5-7 had stronger activities, which could possibly act as primary antioxidants, and the activity of compound 12 was superior to those of all of the other compounds.