Abstract
BACKGROUND: Artemisia biennis is a weed of several crops, but some valuable biological effects have been reported from its various extracts. OBJECTIVES: The present phytochemical study was carried out on the dichloromethane (DCM) extract of the aerial parts of A. biennis. The prominent cytotoxic and antifungal activities of this extract were previously reported. METHODS: The DCM extract was fractionated using vacuum-liquid chromatography (VLC). The selected fractions were purified by VLC and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. RESULTS: Two acetylenic metabolites [(E)-en-yn-dicycloether, (Z)-en-yn-dicycloether], and a 2-phenoxychromone derivative (6-demethoxy-4'-O-methylcapillarisin) were isolated from the DCM extract of A. biennis aerial parts. CONCLUSIONS: These two acetylenic metabolites have exhibited various effects on biological systems. The results of this study are in accordance with the reported cytotoxic and antifungal activities of the DCM extract of A. biennis. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds is also notable.