February 2014
Note
Chem. Pharm. Bull. 62(2) 185–190 (2014)
185
Anti-inflammatory Compounds from the Aerial Parts of Aceriphyllum
rossii
Tran Thi Thu Trang,a To Dao Cuong,a Tran Manh Hung,a Jeong Ah Kim,b Jeong Hyung Lee,c
,a
Mi Hee Woo,a Jae Sue Choi,d Hyeong Kyu Lee,e and Byung Sun Min*
a College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu; Gyeongbuk 712–702, Korea: b College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook
National University; Daegu 702–701, Republic of Korea: c College of Natural Science, Kangwon National University;
Kangwon 200–701, Korea: d Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Pukyung National University; Busan 608–
737, Korea: and e Natural Medicine Research Center, KRIBB; Chungbuk 363–883, Korea.
Received August 21, 2013; accepted October 22, 2013
A new megastigmane glycoside, galloyl linarionoside A (1), together with 13 known compounds (2–14)
were isolated from the aerial parts of Aceriphyllum rossii ENGLER. (Saxifragaceae). The chemical structures
of the isolated compounds were established mainly by using nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, mass spec-
trometry, and modified Mosher’s method. Among the isolates, compounds 4, 5, 6 and 7 showed potent inhibi-
tory activity against the lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophage cells
with IC50 values of 12.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 9.3µM, respectively. The anti-inflammatory effect of compound 7 was
accompanied by dose-dependent decreases in the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxy-
genase-2 proteins not in the inhibitor kappa B (IκB)-dependent nuclear factor-kappa B activation.
Key words Aceriphyllum rossii; Saxifragaceae; megastigmane; anti-inflammatory activity
Inflammation is the normal physiological and immune to MCF-7 and LLC cancer cells,4) acyl-CoA-cholesterol O-
response to tissue injury. Increased blood supply, enhanced acyltransferase inhibition and antibacterial activity.5,6) Inhibi-
vascular permeability and migration of immune cells occur tion of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activity by triterpenes
at damaged sites. The inflammatory process is a protective isolated from the seeds of A. rossii has also reported.7) In
response that occurs in response to trauma, infection, tissue addition, flavonoids isolated from the aerial parts showed an-
injury or noxious stimuli.1) In this process, activated inflam- tioxidant activity.8) In our study, activity-guided fractionation
matory cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, mononuclear phago- lead to the isolation of a new megastigmane glycoside (1) to-
cytes and macrophages) secrete increased amounts of nitric gether with 13 known compounds (2–14) (Fig. 1). The present
oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and cytokines, such as paper reports the isolation and structural elucidation of these
interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. compounds as well as their anti-inflammatory activities.
These substances not only induce cell and tissue damage,
but also activate macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis and
Results and Discussion
Compound 1 was isolated as an amorphous powder, and
chronic hepatitis.2) NO is a major product and its production
is controlled by nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), which include had a molecular formula of C26H38O11 based on the ion peak
inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide at m/z 549.2316 ([M+Na]+) in the high resolution-fast atom
synthase (eNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). bombardment mass spectrometry (HR-FAB-MS) spectrum.
Most importantly, iNOS is highly expressed in macrophages; The infrared (IR) spectrum of 1 suggested the presence of
its activation leads to organ destruction in some inflamma- hydroxyl group (3328cm−1), carbonyl group (1748cm−1) and
tory and autoimmune diseases. PGE2 is another important aromatic absorption (1418cm−1). The 1H-NMR spectrum of
inflammatory mediator and is produced from arachidonic acid 1 displayed signals for four methyl groups at δH 0.88 (H-11),
metabolites by the catalysis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).3) 0.93 (H-12), 1.15 (H-10) and 1.59 (H-13), eight methylene pro-
Inflammatory stimuli including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ton signals at δH 1.41 (Hax-2), 1.77 (Heq-2), 1.99 (Hax −4), 2.26
pro-inflammatory cytokines activate immune cells to up-regu- (Heq-4), 1.86 (H-7a), 2.14 (H-7b), 1.43 (H-8a), and 1.45 (H-8b),
late inflammatory states. Therefore, NO and PGE2 production and two oxymethine proton signals at δH 3.93 (H-3) and 3.68
induced by LPS through iNOS and COX-2, respectively, can (H-9) as well as aromatic proton signal at δH 7.10 (H-2″, H-6″)
reflect the degree of inflammation, and the change in NO and (Table 1). The 13C-NMR and distortionless enhancement by
PGE2 level through the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 activ- polarization transfer (DEPT) spectra showed the presence of
ity provides a means of assessing the effect of agents on the a sugar moiety, four methyl groups at δC 23.3 (C-10), 28.8
inflammatory process.
(C-11), 30.2 (C-12), and 20.1 (C-13), four methylene groups at
In a preliminary study, a methanol extract of the aerial δC 47.7 (C-2), 39.9 (C-4), 25.6 (C-7), and 40.7 (C-8), two me-
parts of Aceriphyllum rossii ENGLER. (Saxifragaceae) showed thines with oxygen function at δC 74.5 (C-3) and 69.3 (C-9),
inhibitory effect against the LPS-induced NO production in one quaternary carbon at δC 38.9 (C-1) and a tetrasubstituted
RAW264.7 macrophage cells. A. rossii, an endemic species double bond at δC 125.0 (C-5) and 138.7 (C-6) and remain-
in Korea, is a perennial herb that grows on damp rocks along ing five signals of a galloyl unit which was characterized by
valleys in the central northern part of Korea. The roots of A. δC 168.4 (C-7″), 110.4 (C-2″, C-6″), 146.7 (C-3″, C-5″), 139.9
rossii contain oleanane-type triterpenoids, which are cytotoxic (C-4″) and 121.5 (C-1″).9) These results suggested that 1 was
a derivative of ionol (megastigmane) glycoside.10) The place
of tetrasubstituted double bond in the megastigmane skeleton
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
© 2014 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: bsmin@cu.ac.kr