Megastigmane sesquiterpenoids from the pericarps of Trichosanthes kirilowii and their anti-complementary and anti-inflammatory activities

Ji-Bin Zou; Jia-Ren Lyu; Leverne Wang; Shui-Yuan Yang; Yan Lu; Dao-Feng Chen

doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106715

Megastigmane sesquiterpenoids from the pericarps of Trichosanthes kirilowii and their anti-complementary and anti-inflammatory activities

Fitoterapia. 2025 Jul 2:106715. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106715. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ji-Bin Zou¹, Jia-Ren Lyu², Leverne Wang³, Shui-Yuan Yang², Yan Lu⁴, Dao-Feng Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China; Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
² Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
³ Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.
⁴ Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China. Electronic address: luyan@fudan.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China; Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, PR China. Electronic address: dfchen@shmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 40614872
DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106715

Abstract

The pericarps of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (T. kirilowi) have been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for their heat-clearing properties. This study employed anti-complementary activity-guided fractionation and purification to isolate eleven compounds from the pericarps of T. kirilowi, including two new megastigmane sesquiterpenoids (6, 8), seven previously identified megastigmane sesquiterpenoids (1-5, 7, 9), and two known flavonoids (10,11). The structures were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques (NMR, HRESIMS, IR, and UV) and computational chemistry methods with CD spectroscopy. Biological evaluation demonstrated that four megastigmane sesquiterpenoids (3, 4, 5, 6) and two flavonoids (10, 11) exhibited both anti-complementary activities (CH₅₀ values ranging from 0.906 ± 0.075 mM to 4.933 ± 0.318 mM) and anti-inflammatory activities (inhibition rates: 14.30 ± 4.234 % to 72.87 ± 1.594 %). Furthermore, the new megastigmane sesquiterpenoid (6), featuring a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG) substituent, and the flavonoid glucoside (11) modulated cytokine levels in LPS-stimulated ANA-1 cells by reducing IL-6 and MCP-1 while increasing IL-10.

Keywords: Anti-complementary; Anti-inflammatory; Inflammatory cytokines; Megastigmane sesquiterpenoid; Trichosanthes kirilowii.