6-methoxypodophyllotoxin-7-O-n-hexanoate, a new aryltetralin lignan ester from seeds of Linum flavum.

A new aryltetralin-type lignan, 6-methoxypodophyllotoxin-7- O-n-hexanoate, was isolated from the seeds of Linum flavum L. var. compactum (Linaceae) by silica gel column chromatography of the dichloromethane extract. This lignan, previously detected by our group in the aerial parts of several Linum species by HPLC-MS, has now been isolated for the first time, and its structure is now confirmed and fully characterized by assignment of all NMR data as well as the CD spectrum. The occurrence of aryltetralin lignans, which are well known in the case of aerial parts and roots, in the seeds of a Linum species has not been reported before.