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DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1321019
Bioactive constituents from the stem bark of Zanthoxylum avicennae
Zanthoxylum avicennae (Lam.) DC. (Rutaceae) is an evergreen shrub distributed in Vietnam, Philippines, southern China, and Taiwan. In our studies on the anti-inflammatory constituents of Formosan plants, many species have been screened for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, and Z. avicennae has been found to be one of the active species. In our search for compounds with anti-inflammatory activities, two new coumarin derivatives, 8-formylalloxanthoxyletin (1) and avicennone (2) and 14 known compounds (3 -1 6) have been isolated and identified from the stem bark of Z. avicennae . The structures of all isolates were determined through spectral analyses and comparison of their physical and spectral data with literatures. Among the isolated compounds 1, 5, 10, 1 3, and 1 6 exhibited inhibition (IC50 values ≤ 7.65µg/mL) of superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils in response to formyl-L-methionyl-L-leuckyl-L-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB).