Chemical constituents and their anti-inflammatory activities from Korthalsella japonica

Korthalsella japonica is one kind of small parasitic subshrubs and mainly distributed in tropical Asia, Australia to Polynesia. The major components were flavanones and chromones, which were similar with Viscum coloratum. Among them, five new compounds, methyl-4-O-cinnamoyl-quinate, korthalin, korjaponin, 6′, 4″-dihydroxy-2′, 3″-dimethoxy- chalcone-4′-O-β-D-glucoside and viscolin 4′,4″-di-O-β-D-glucoside were isolated for the first time from the natural source. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their bioactivities. The results of anti-inflammatory experiments showed that viscolin has significant inhibitory activities in the release of superoxide anion and elastase in fMLP/CB-activated human neutrophils. Korthalin, 6′, 4″-dihydroxy-2′, 3″-dimethoxychalcone-4′-O-β-glucoside and viscolin 4′,4″-di-O-β-D-glucoside showed no or minor anti-inflammatory activities.