Anti-inflammatory sesquiterpenes from Curcuma zedoaria

From the methanolic extract of the rhizome of Curcuma zedoaria, we isolated anti-inflammatory sesquiterpene furanodiene (1) and furanodienone (2) along with new sesquiterpene compound 3 and known eight sesquiterpenes, zederone (4), curzerenone (5), curzeone (6), germacrone (7), 13-hydroxygermacrone (8), dehydrocurdione (9), curcumenone (10), and zedoaronediol (11). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. The anti-inflammatory effect of isolated components on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation of mouse ears were examined. Compounds 1 and 2 suppressed the TPA-induced inflammation of mouse ears by 75% and 53%, respectively, at a dose of 1.0 micromol. Their activities are comparable to that of indomethacin, the normally used anti-inflammatory agent.