2,5-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (1), fimbriol-A (2), nudol (3), gymnopusin (4) and erianthridin (5) isolated from Maxillaria densa provoked a concentration-dependent inhibition of the spontaneous contractions of the rat ileum with potencies comparable to papaverine. In order to establish the
Two new phenanthrene derivatives, 2,5-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (1) and 9,10-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-3, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (2), were isolated from an extract prepared from the whole plant of the orchid Maxillaria densa with spasmolytic activity. In addition, four known compounds,