Neuroprotective flavonoids from Flemingia macrophylla

Using an A beta-induced neurotoxicity blocking assay to direct fractionation, three new flavonoids, fleminginin (1), flemingichromone (2), and flemingichalcone (3), and twenty known compounds were isolated from the active fractions of the aerial parts of Flemingia macrophylla. The structures of 1 - 3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. When tested for neuroprotective activity, compound 2, osajin (4), 5,7,4 -trihydroxy-6,8-dipre-nylisoflavone (5), 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6,3-diprenylisoflavone(6), and aureole (7) protected neuronal cells from A beta-induced damage with EC50 values of 31.43 +/- 3.16, 5.01 +/- 1.28,11.25 +/- 1.51, 4.47 +/- 0.65,12.09 +/- 2.55 mu M, respectively.