Phytochemicals and Estrogen-Receptor Agonists from the Aerial Parts of Liriope platyphylla

One new benzofuran, (2R)-(2',4'-dihydroxybenzyl)-6,7-methylenedioxy-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran (1), one new phenylisocoumarin, 3-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-6,8-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-isocoumarin (2), and one new benzofuroisocoumarin, platyphyllarin C (3), were isolated from the ethanolic extract of Liriope platyphylla aerial parts, along with seventeen known compounds. The structures of the isolates were established by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the literature data. The results indicated that structures 1–3 are uncommon in Nature. Benzofuroisocoumarin 4, flavonoids 9, 10, and 13–15, and homoisoflavonoids 19 and 20 exhibited significant binding activity to estrogen-receptor α and/or β as demonstrated by the SEAP reporter assay system in an MCF-7 cell-line.