Anti-inflammatory effects of a triple-bond resveratrol analog: structure and function relationship

Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in grapes and red wine, showing well-characterized anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities. In order to exceed resveratrol׳s biological effects and to reveal the structural determinants of the molecule׳s activity, numerous derivatives were synthesized recently. Most of these resveratrol analogs vary from the original molecule in the number, position or identity of the phenolic functional groups. Investigation of the analogs provided important data regarding structure-activity relationship of the molecule. With the exception of cis- and trans-resveratrol and the reduced form dihydroresveratrol, little is known about the molecular effects of the stilbene backbone. In the present study we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of a new, triple-bond resveratrol analog, 3,4',5-trihydroxy-diphenylacetylene (TDPA) on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW macrophages. We found that the analog had weaker antioxidant activity and stronger inhibitory effect on nuclear factor-kappaB activation, and on cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 production. It also prevented lipopolysaccharide-induced depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. In contrast to resveratrol, TDPA increased the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal and p38 mitogen activated protein kinases. In summary, we identified a novel compound with better anti-inflammatory properties than resveratrol. Our results contributed to a better understanding of the structural determinants of resveratrol׳s biological activities.