Pregnane C21-Steroids with Anti-Inflammatory Activity from the Roots of Cynanchum bungei
Xiao-San Li1,2, Ai-Ling Zhang3, Wei-Bin Yuan3
1Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for the Development and Utilization of Mangrove Wetland Medicinal Resources, Key Lab of Zhanjiang for R&D Marine Microbial Resources in the Beibu Gulf Rim, and School of Ocean and Tropical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Five pregnane C21-steroids, including three 5,6-epoxy steroids (1-3) and two 8,14-seco-steroids (4 and 5), were isolated from the acid hydrolysate of Cynanchum bungei roots. Cynbungenins L-O (1-4) are previously undescribed compounds. Compound 3 with a 5α,6α-epoxy group represents the first example found in the Cynanchum plants. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by a variety of spectroscopic analysis and theoretical ECD calculations. All compounds (1-5) were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) released in RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that they all possessed NO inhibitory activity at 50 µM, and compounds 3 and 4 exhibited stronger NO inhibitory activity than indomethacin.
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