New neolignans that inhibit DNA polymerase beta lyase.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of a methyl ethyl ketone extract of the roots of Endlicheria aff. resulted in the isolation of four new neolignans (1-4) and eight known compounds, namely, canellin A (5), canellin C (6), 3'-methoxyguianin (7), (7S,8R,1'S,5'S,6'R)-Delta(2',8')-3',6'-dihydroxy-5'-methoxy-3,4-methylened ioxy-4'-oxo-8.1',7.5'-neolignan (8), armenin-B (9), dillapiole (10), 1-allyl-2,6-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxybenzene (11), and omega-hydroxyisodillapiole (12). The structures of the new compounds (1-4) were established as (7S,8R,1'S,5'S,6'R)-Delta(2',8')-5',6'-dihydroxy-3'-methoxy-3,4-methylened ioxy-4'-oxo-8.1',7.5'-neolignan, (7S,8R,1'S,5'S,6'R)-Delta(2',8')-3',5',6'-trihydroxy-3,4-methylenedioxy-4' -oxo-8.1',7.5'-neolignan, 2,4-dimethoxy-5,6-methylenedioxy-1-(2-propenyl)benzene, and 2,6-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxycinnamyl alcohol, respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic interpretation.