Bioactive flavanes from the seeds of Areca catechu L.

A novel flavane derivative (1) was isolated from the seeds of Areca catechu L., together with six known biogenetically related flavane analogues (2–7). Their chemical structures were elucidated by a combination of high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), as well as one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses. Compound 1 is a rare naturally occurring isopentenyl-substituted flavane. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial potentials. Notably, compounds 2, 4 and 5 exhibited significant antioxidant activities, while compounds 4 and 5 showed potent and broad-spectrum antibacterial activities.