Antiinflammatory constituents of Celastrus orbiculatus inhibit the NF-κB activation and NO production

Abstract

Two new sesquiterpene esters, 1β,8β-diacetoxyl-6α,9α-difuroyloxydihydro-β- agarofuran (1) and 1β-acetoxyl-2β,6α,9α-trifuroyloxydihydro-β- agarofuran (2), together with four known sesquiterpene esters (3-6), celastrol (7), and celaphanol A (8) were isolated from the roots of Celastrus orbiculatus in a search for inhibitors of NF-κB activation and nitric oxide production. Compound 7 was the most active, while compounds 1, 2, 4, and 8 showed moderate inhibition in both NF-κB activation and nitric oxide production.