Isolation of compounds from Cyathea podophylla and their cytoprotective effects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced toxicity in F11 neuronal cells

The chemical constituents and cytoprotective potential of Cyathea podophylla , a Vietnamese fern, remain poorly investigated. This study aimed to isolate its compounds and evaluate their in vitro cytoprotective activity against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced toxicity in F11 cells. Compounds were chromatographically isolated and structurally characterized using NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Seven compounds were identified: five phenolics ( trans -cinnamic acid, ( E )-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one, p -coumaric acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 4- O -acetyl-caffeic acid), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and butyl-β-D-fructofuranoside. Six of these are newly reported for the Cyathea genus. In MTT assays, butyl-β-D-fructofuranoside exhibited the strongest cytoprotective effect (69.6% cell protection at 10 µM, p < 0.001), followed by ( E )-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one (39.2% at 10 µM). The remaining compounds lacked significant activity. These findings expand the phytochemical profile of Cyathea podophylla and provide preliminary evidence of its cytoprotective properties against 6-OHDA-induced injury, warranting further mechanistic and in vivo validation.