Three new feruloyl glucuronopyranosyl glycerols from Eriocaulon buergerianum with their anti-fibrotic effects on hepatic stellate cells.

Three new feruloyl glucuronopyranosyl glycerols, 1- O - α -D-(2'-feruloyl) glucuronopyranosyl glycerol ( 1 ), 1- O - α -D-(3'-feruloyl) glucuronopyranosyl glycerol ( 2 ), and 1- O - α -D-(4'-feruloyl) glucuronopyranosyl glycerol ( 3 ) were isolated and purified from the capitulum of Eriocaulon buergerianum Koern. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Molecular docking study showed that 1 is a potential inhibitor of TGF- β 1 receptor. Bioassay results revealed that 1 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against the TGF- β -induced expression of α-smooth muscle actin ( α -SMA) and fibronectin in human hepatic stellate LX-2 cells. The results in this study indicated that the new feruloyl glucuronopyranosyl glycerol 1 has preventive and therapeutic potentials against hepatic fibrosis.