Abstract:To investigate the chemical constituents of the roots of Dendrobium hercoglossum and evaluate their biological activities, the ethyl acetate fraction of an ethanol extract from its roots was isolated and purified by using chromatographic techniques, including silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated through mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and then they were subsequently evaluated for anti-inflammatory and other biological activities. The results showed that eight compounds were isolated, such as (Z)-dimethomorph (1), (E)-dimethomorph (2), dengibsin (3), 4-O-demethyl-nobilone (4), dendroflorin (5), p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (6), syringic acid (7), 1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde (8). Compound 4 significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages, with an IC50 value of (14.69±1.16) μmol/L. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated as natural products for the first time, as well as their NMR data. Compounds 1-8 were isolated from D. hercoglossum for the first time. Compound 4 showed significant anti-inflammatory activity.