Three new compounds from Morus nigra L.

A new 2-arylbenzofuran derivative, mornigrol D (1), along with two new flavones, mornigrol G (2) and mornigrol H (3), and six known compounds, norartocarpetin (4), dihydrokaempferol (5), albanin A (6), albanin E (7), moracin M (8), and albafuran C (9), were isolated from the barks of Morus nigra. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 and 9 showed antioxidative activities in vitro with inhibition ratios of 98 and 99% at the concentration of 10(-4) mol/l, and of 74 and 75% at the concentration of 10(-5) mol/l. In addition, compounds 1 and 4 showed potent anti-inflammatory activities (inhibition of release of beta-glucuronidase from rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes induced by platelet activating factor) with inhibitory ratios of 65.9% (P < 0.01) and 67.7% (P < 0.01) at a concentration of 10(-5) mol/l.