Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cajanin, an Isoflavonoid Derivative Isolated from Canavalia lineata Pods

The bioactive components of Canavalia lineata (Thunb.) DC pods were investigated using bioactivity-guided isolation, and the chemical structures of flavonoids 1-3, isoflavonoid derivatives 4-11, and phenolic compounds 12 and 13 were identified by comparing NMR, MS, and CD spectral data with previously reported spectroscopic data. Compounds 1-13 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Among these compounds, the isoflavonoid derivative cajanin (7) exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 of NO = 19.38 +/- 0.05 mu M; IC50 of IL-6 = 7.78 +/- 0.04 mu M; IC50 of TNF-alpha = 26.82 +/- 0.11 mu M), exerting its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the activation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NF-kappa B by phosphorylating I kappa B and p65. These results suggested that cajanin (7) may be a potential candidate for improving the treatment of inflammatory diseases.