Four New Compounds Obtained from Cultured Cells of Artemisia annua

Four new compounds obtained from cultured cells of were reported. Products were detected by HPLC-ELSD/GC-MS and isolated by chromatographic methods. The structures of four new compounds, namely 6-hydroxy arteannuin I ( ), 1-hydroxy arteannuin I ( ), 2-hydroxy arteannuin J ( ), and 14-hydroxy arteannuin J ( ), were elucidated using their physico-chemical properties by NMR and MS data analyses. The results from the spontaneous oxidative experiment indicated that the biosynthesis of the new compounds was enzyme-catalyzed. Interestingly, the enzymes in the cultured cells of showed the abilities of substrate-selective and region-selective hydroxylation of the sesquiterpene lactone. Furthermore, the artemisinin contents were increased by 50% and 80% compared to the control group after the addition of arteannuin I/J to the suspension-cultured cells of under light and dark culture conditions, respectively.